Shenyang Botanical Garden
I. Introduction
Shenyang Botanical Garden (Shenyang Expo Garden), located in Hunnan District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, also known as Shenyang Expo Garden or Shenyang World Horticultural Expo Garden, is a multifunctional comprehensive tourist attraction integrating green ecological viewing, exquisite garden art, humanistic landscape architecture, scientific research and popular science education, and recreational leisure activities. It was initially established in February 1959 and officially opened to the public in 1993, covering an area of 211 hectares.
The botanical garden features iconic theme buildings such as the Lily Tower, Phoenix Square, and Rose Garden. It showcases outstanding gardens and architectural works from five continents around the world and key domestic cities, with a total of 100 exhibition gardens distributed across its northern and southern sections.
Shenyang Botanical Garden served as the venue for the 2006 China Shenyang International Horticultural Exposition and is acclaimed as the "Expo Garden in the Forest." It has been honored with titles such as "One of the Fifty Best Scenic Spots in Liaoning Province," "One of the Fifteen Major Tourist Attractions in Shenyang," and "One of the Ten Popular Science Education Bases in Shenyang." In 2004, it was awarded the title of one of the first National 5A-Level Tourist Attractions.
II. Historical Development
Background of Establishment
According to historical records, the areas surrounding Shenyang Botanical Garden, such as "Jiuzhan," "Gaokan," "Shangma" (historically known as "Shangmajiawanzi"), "Zhongma" (Zhongmajiawanzi), "Xiama" (Xiamajiawanzi), "Yantai" (historically known as "Yantainilu"), "Qijianfang," and "Zhongshuiquan," are ancient villages dating back to the early Qing Dynasty. Among them, Jiuzhan, Gaokan, Qijianfang, and Yantai once housed ancient temples such as "Xiangyun Temple," "Longquan Temple," "Qingyun Temple," and "Guandi Temple" (none of which exist today). Jiuzhan predates the other villages by many years. The main road in front of the south gate of Shenyang Botanical Garden—the Shenfu Highway (North Line)—is also a thousand-year-old ancient road, known as the "Great Imperial Road" during the Qing Dynasty. Emperors Kangxi, Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Daoguang frequently traveled this road between Shengjing (Shenyang) and Xingjing (Xinbin) to worship at ancestral tombs. During their journeys, the imperial entourage would set up a "rest camp" in Yantai Village for the emperor's midday meal. On such occasions, officials of the fifth rank and above in Shengjing would gather in Yantai Village to kneel and welcome the emperor into the capital.
The Shenfu Railway running through the garden was originally named the "Fenghai Railway." It was built in 1925 through the self-reliance of the people in Northeast China. Prior to this, railways in Northeast China were constructed by imperialist powers. The Fenghai Railway is an important historical relic of Northeast China's modern history and serves as educational material for instilling patriotism in young people.
In 1958, Chairman Mao Zedong inspected Jiuzhan (the location of Gaokan Commune) on his way to Fushun. The botanical garden was established here the following year.
Institutional Evolution
Shenyang Botanical Garden was founded in February 1959 under the directive of Comrade Jiao Ruoyu, then the First Secretary of the Shenyang Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China. The Shenyang Urban Construction Bureau and the Shenyang Institute of Forestry and Soil Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly established the garden.
In 1962, it was taken over by the Shenyang Garden Management Office. During the Cultural Revolution, it was dissolved and merged into the "Donghui Forest Farm." Its institutional status was restored in 1973.
In 1981, the Shenyang Garden Management Office and the Shenyang Greening Office were separated, and the botanical garden was placed under the Greening Office.
In 1988, it was transferred to the Shenyang Institute of Landscape Architecture Science. Specialized gardens such as the Tree Specimen Garden and distinctive plant viewing areas were constructed. Leveraging the natural advantages of the lake, a chain bridge was built.
On July 18, 1993, the Shenyang Municipal Government approved its official opening to the public. From then on, Shenyang Botanical Garden embarked on a path integrating scientific research, popular science, and tourism.
In 1994, it was reassigned to the Shenyang Urban Construction Bureau, becoming an institution directly under the bureau.
In April 2002, as part of the overall plan to develop the eastern tourism area, the Shenyang Municipal Government transferred Shenyang Botanical Garden from the Shenyang Construction Management Bureau to the Shenyang Qipanshan Development Zone Management Committee.
In 2006, Shenyang Botanical Garden successfully hosted the 2006 China Shenyang International Horticultural Exposition.
In May 2015, after the National Tourism Administration issued a severe warning to Shenyang Botanical Garden, a National 5A-Level Tourist Attraction, the garden invested 80 million yuan in hardware improvements and implemented a one-card ticket system.
III. Main Scenic Areas
Scenic Area Planning
Shenyang Botanical Garden covers an area of 211 hectares, including 196 hectares of green space, 6.5 hectares of water surface, and 6.9 hectares of roads and buildings. It comprises four types of exhibition areas—leisure exhibition areas, specialized exhibition areas, domestic exhibition areas, and international exhibition areas—with over 100 exhibition gardens. The overall layout is divided into northern and southern sections by the Shenfu Railway. The southern section includes major visiting areas such as specialized plant gardens, Cuihu Lake and Rock Climbing Area, Jingtan Lake and Lingjiao Gully Recreational Bridge Area, the Popular Science Park, and Xingxing Amusement Park. The northern section houses the Steam Locomotive Exhibition Hall, hotels, and plant cultivation areas.
The garden brings together diverse plant resources from Northeast China, Northwest China, North China, and Inner Mongolia. It cultivates over 2,000 species of outdoor woody plants, outdoor herbaceous plants, and greenhouse plants, making it the botanical exhibition garden with the largest collection of plant species in Northeast China.
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