What to Play in Nanjing Gulin Park: A List of Attractions

Nanjing Gulin Park is a great place to enjoy flowers, especially peonies, which are the most famous. Gulin Park not only offers a chance to appreciate flowers, but also has many attractions for visitors. Let’s take a closer look at these attractions!

1. Gulin Temple

Gulin Park is named after the Gulin Temple, which was originally located here. Historical records show that the temple was first called Guanyin Temple, founded by Buddhist monk Baozhi during the Liang Dynasty. During the Song Dynasty, it was renamed Gulin Temple. At that time, there were only a few rooms within a hundred feet. In the twelfth year of the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1584), Buddhist monk Gu Xin converted the temple and expanded its construction, turning it into a grand temple. In the forty-first year of Wanli (1613), Gu Xin assisted Xue Lang Hong En Master in repairing the glazed pagoda of the Baoyen Temple. This act of merit was reported to the emperor by the government, who bestowed upon the temple the title of “Gulin Law Temple” and ten treasures: purple robes, dragon sutras, Guanyin statue, Xuan Yuan mirror, golden incense burner, purple gold bowl, jade meditation cushion, black gold board, measuring rod, celestial sphere, and the Longevity Altar inscription.

2. Rhododendron Slope

Upon entering from the main gate, you will see the Rhododendron Slope. The slope is covered with decades-old towering chestnut and oak trees. Its northwest side features a natural vegetation barrier, creating a shady, warm microclimate suitable for rhododendrons. In early spring, various rhododendrons bloom in a kaleidoscope of colors, with red flowers like fire, yellow flowers like gold, and white flowers pure as jade, creating a spectacle of beauty against the backdrop of green leaves, showcasing the arrival of spring.

3. Yuanxiang Xie

From the Rhododendron Slope, you can follow the stone steps made of stone blocks to the back of the mountain. The garden is filled with towering pines and cypresses, green bamboo, and yellow cypress. Yuanxiang Xie stands amidst them. Yuanxiang Xie covers an area of 60 square meters, built in a classical garden style using reinforced concrete. Although it does not feature elaborate carvings, it is exquisitely beautiful, elegant, and simple. It has corridors on all sides, and the interior often features exhibitions of flowers, paintings, and bonsai. Visitors can also enjoy tea and rest in the pavilion. The east, west, and north sides of the pavilion are open, with fragrant wintersweet, magnolia, hibiscus, hydrangea, and Osmanthus planted. Therefore, flowers bloom continuously throughout the year, and fragrances waft in the air. Coupled with the clear water pond, visitors linger and are reluctant to leave.

4. Peony Garden

To the south of Yuanxiang Xie lies the Peony Garden. The Peony Garden is located in the southwest corner of the park. It is built against the hillside with rock formations, and a two-meter tall statue of a peony fairy stands in the garden. Peonies are known for their large, beautiful flowers and are hailed as the “king of flowers” with the nickname “national color and heavenly fragrance”. The garden collects and cultivates over 250 varieties and over 3,000 peony plants, many of which are sourced from the peony-producing regions of Luoyang, Henan, and Heze, Shandong. The garden also includes peonies. “Watch peonies during the Guyu season”, during the blooming period of peonies and peonies, the garden is filled with a vibrant tapestry of colors, opulent and majestic. Visitors feel refreshed and relaxed in the garden, losing themselves in its beauty. A Peony Pavilion is built in the garden, with a classical garden style using reinforced concrete, covering an area of about 150 square meters. A winding corridor along the side of the pavilion leads to the Tianxiang Pavilion. The Peony Pavilion architecture takes advantage of the terrain, built against the hillside with unique design. Visitors can enjoy tea and appreciate flowers in the pavilion, finding tranquility in the scenery.

5. Camellia Grove

North of the Peony Garden lies the Camellia Grove. The grove is built into the mountain, with three artificial ponds built in the low-lying areas and connected to each other. Three earth mounds are created to form peninsulas. Various camellia varieties are planted on the islands, along with various flower shrubs. Strolling through the camellias, visitors will find it intriguing. Not far from the Camellia Grove is a patch of green bamboo, with two 12-meter tall locust trees next to the bamboo forest. The trees are ancient and sturdy, with their roots separated by a foot but their upper trunks intertwined, naturally forming a “connected branches”. Young couples often take photos together under the intertwined locust trees.

6. Plum Blossom Ridge

Located on the eastern ridge of the park, bordering Tiger Hill North Road. The ridge is planted with over 100 towering and sturdy pines and hundreds of various spring plum trees. Along the western side of the ridge, black pines, moso bamboo, and wintersweet are planted extensively. In the midst of winter, they form a natural painting of pines, bamboo, and plum blossoms, the three friends of the cold season, a truly breathtaking sight. A Qingyun Pavilion is built on the peak of the ridge, covering an area of 30 square meters, with a classical garden style using reinforced concrete. There are stone benches on both sides for visitors to rest.

7. Rose Garden

Entering from the south gate on Tiger Hill North Road, the Rose Garden is located to the south along the path. Hundreds of rose bushes are planted in the garden. When spring arrives, roses bloom in full glory, filling the garden with a vibrant spectacle of colors.

8. Bonsai Garden

In the northwest corner of the Rose Garden lies one of the production bases of “Jinling Bonsai”, covering 200 square meters, with a 600 square meter glass greenhouse. The garden cultivates and exhibits bonsai year-round, with a wide variety of species and colors. Various sizes of tree trunks and water-stone bonsai, as well as foliage plants, are available for visitors to admire and purchase, and are also exported overseas. Ascending the steps from the Bonsai Garden, on the left side is an open slope, with tea trees and plum blossoms planted extensively. Legend has it that Tao Hongjing, a great medical practitioner and literary figure (452-536), once lived in seclusion here. The garden is currently building a ball and perennial flower garden, and will plant 150 cherry blossom trees given to Deng Yingchao by Japanese friends in 1978.

9. Sifang Bajing Pavilion

Located at the highest point in the center of the park. The newly built Sifang Bajing Pavilion covers an area of 575 square meters, with a three-story main body, a double roof, and a total height of 16 meters. The third floor has an outer corridor for visitors to stand and enjoy the view. The bottom floor features a large platform base, covering an area of 454 square meters, with granite steps covering 140 square meters. From the top floor platform, visitors can see the entire scenery of the park, as well as the majestic landscape of Zhongshan Mountain and the Stone City, Tiger Hill. The 303-meter tall television transmission tower built on the 36-meter high hill in the western part of the park forms a beautiful view.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the area around Gulin was widely planted with crabapple and plum blossoms, making for a beautiful scenery. Every early spring, plum blossoms bloomed, their delicate buds full of beauty, their fragrance filling the air. There was a scholar from Anhui named Bao Yuan who visited the park to admire the blossoms. Since his mother’s nickname was Mei, he knelt in front of the plum blossoms to show his respect and donated money to build a “Bai Mei Temple” to commemorate his mother’s love. Since then, Gulin’s plum blossoms became famous, attracting many visitors to admire them. Sadly, the temple was destroyed. The park’s overall construction plan was formulated in 1981, with Gulin Park designed as a specialized flower garden with four-season famous flowers as the main theme. After seven years of hard work, the park was initially completed in late 1987, with a focus on exotic flowers, incorporating recreation and science education. Attractions include Peony and Peony Garden, Rose Garden, Rhododendron Slope, Plum Blossom Ridge, Camellia Grove, and Yuanxiang Xie. These attractions are complemented by elegant pavilions, corridors, halls, and pavilions in a classical garden style, with peonies, peonies, rhododendrons, camellias, roses, plum blossoms, and cherry blossoms planted, each with its own unique characteristics. There are Peony Pavilion, Tianxiang Pavilion, Yuanxiang Xie, Qingyun Pavilion, and Sifang Bajing Pavilion in the park. These buildings are designed with novelty and unique shapes, adding artistic charm to the attractions.