Huilongtan Park　汇龙潭

Huilongtan was once one of the eight scenic spots of the Confucian Temple. Every year on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, which is the Dragon Boat Festival, people of Jiading used to hold a dragon-boat race on Huilongtan in commemoration of Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet in ancient China. On that day, the whole site would submerge in a sea of fluttering colorful flags and drown in the hilarious beating of drums and gongs. During the summer and autumn months, scholars in Jiading would gather here to compose poems and draw paintings. At present Huilongtan has been turned into a public park, where people can enjoy relaxation, recreation, and tourism.

With the five creeks, as five small meandering dragons flowing to the pond, there came the name Huilongtan, in the meaning of a pond where the dragons meet.

The Park can be roughly divided into two parts: the south part is mainly a place of natural scenery of hills and water, and the north part is where scenic spots are located.

The first scenic spot of the Huilongtan Park is an ancient stone bridge, Qingyun Bridge, meaning a bridge among the white clouds in the blue skies, which is already more than 750 years old. It is also termed Longmen Bridge; the main span of this single arch bridge is 17 meters long and 4 meters wide.

Kuixing Tower used to be a component of the Confucian Temple, and now it is part of the Huilongtan Park. It was first constructed in the 12th year (1734) of Emperor Yongzheng, and renovated in the 7th year (1827) of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the Anti-Japanese War. And in 1978, it was reconstructed after the original model. The present Kuixing Tower is a two-story building, grand and beautiful. Above each of the four doors on the ground floor were respectively written Qinglong, meaning Black Dragon; Baihu, meaning White Tiger; Zhuque, meaning Red Sparrow; Xuanwu, meaning Tortoise, which are the terms for the constellations of the north, south, east, and west. What is enshrined and worshipped in the tower is the God of Letters. Tilting his head sideways and opening his eyes wide, he is holding a writing brush in one hand and a weighing dou in the other, implying that "Once appointed by the God of Letters, one will succeed in the imperial examination." Going upstairs onto the second floor and looking around into the distance by the balustrades, the visitor will have a panoramic view of the whole park, deriving an enjoyment of natural beauty.

The Yingkui Hill, situated in Huilongtan, is encircled by green water, very much like a pearl. The hill has got other names, such as Jiao Hill, Yingkui Hill, Siyi Hill, etc. As is mentioned above, it is actually a large artificial hill, piled up with the earth dug up from what is the pond. It is also one of the eight scenic spots of the Confucian Temple.

On the hill there is a new view that no one can afford to miss, i.e. the well-known Bell Tower. A three-story octagonal tower, it looks beautiful and magnificent. The huge bell in the tower is named Zhuangyuan Bell, meaning the bell for the No.1 scholars at the imperial examinations.

Located at the center of the South Lawn is a building facing south, i.e., Bainiao Chaoyang Tai, meaning the Platform where Hundreds of Birds Welcome the Sunrise, which is a treasure of Huilongtan because of its architectural magnificence and grandeur. The platform used to be a stage for theatric performances in the old days. The stage was originally built in a gild hall in Zhabei District of Shanghai in the 14th year (1888) of Guangxu Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. When moved to Huilongtan, it was restored exactly the same as the original. The stage is exquisite in structure and grand in outlook, and its most enjoyable part is the caisson ceiling, i.e., the arched part in the flat ceiling that is a special structure in ancient Chinese architecture. A round mirror, referred to as the Bright Mirror, is embedded in the ceiling. And the dome was framed with curved wood, and the frame is in a spiral shape, which presents a pattern, complicated and beautiful. Besides, each protruding part of the dome is carved with birds, altogether 440, painted with red and lined with gold, emitting a dazzling light in the sun. Phoenixes are carved on the four corners of the flat ceiling. In addition, the major heroes of the Three Kingdoms are carved on the square column between the two pillars. The carvings of the whole stage are splendid and thought-provoking.

The Platform where Hundreds of Birds Welcome the Sunrise is a place where tourists can relax and enjoy recreation. As the platform has no rails on three sides, it serves as a stage for various performances, and hundreds of spectators can watch the performances on the vast lawn in front of the platform.

Zhuyun Feng, meaning Mt. Soaring Clouds, is another treasure of Huilongtan, as well as a precious rock in Jiading. It is over 3 meters tall. It is said to be a legacy of the Song Dynasty, i.e. during the period of Emperor Huizong. The three characters Zhu Yun Feng carved on the rock are actually the calligraphy by Song Jue, an experienced epigraphist of the Ming Dynasty. In 1981, the rock was moved to the park during the expansion of Huilongtan. It is reported that the rock will emit drippings of water before the rain comes; therefore, people believe that the rock has the special function of forecasting weather.

Yi’an Hall and Zhuihua Hall are both moved to the park during the expansion of Huilongtan in 1980. Both halls were built in the years of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. They belonged to the Liao's brothers, who were both high officials, with Liao Shoufeng, the elder, as the Governor of Zhejiang Province and the founder of Zhejiang University, and Liao Shouheng, the younger, as the Minister of the Ministry of Rites and of the Ministry of Military Affairs. The two buildings are both quite fastidious in decoration, with exquisite carvings and elegant outlooks. The characters Yi An Tang on the plaque were written by Hu Quewen, sociologist and statesman of contemporary China. The characters Zhui Hua Tang on the plaque were written by Song Richang, then Vice Mayor of Shanghai. In addition, quite a number of precious osmanthus trees are planted in front of the halls.

In the south of Huilongtan, there is the Lotus Pond, which was so named because of its lotus shape. The waters of the pond spread out, and the bank is made up of well-arranged yellow stones. And graceful peach trees and swaying willow trees are planted on the bank. Moreover, a pavilion, Boying Pavilion, was built near the pond.

Address: 299, Tacheng Road, Jiading Town, Jiading District

Tel.: 021-59529604

Open Hours: 8:00 - 16:30