Why People’s Park Belongs on Your Chengdu List
If you only have time for one park in Chengdu, make it People’s Park. Originally called Shaocheng Park, it was first built in 1911 — making it one of China’s earliest modern parks and the first modern park in Sichuan. It’s not just a green escape for locals; it’s the best place to feel Chengdu’s famous slow pace of life. With shady trees, pretty scenery, and a mix of nature and history, it’s a comprehensive 4A-level scenic spot that packs gardens, culture, heritage protection, patriotic education, and leisure into one place.
On a trip to Chengdu, how could you skip People’s Park? Tea, boats, markets, history — it’s all here.
What You’ll Find Inside
The park dates back to 1911 and has witnessed a century of Chengdu’s history. Today it’s home to famous spots like the century-old Heming Teahouse, Jinshui Stream, the Monument to the Martyrs of the 1911 Railway Protection Movement, the Sichuan Army Anti-Japanese Martyrs Monument, the Chengdu Bombing Memorial Wall, the Sichuan Railway Protection Movement History Exhibition Hall, Banbian Market, the Matchmaking Corner, the artificial lake, and the Bonsai Garden.
We were catching a train later and didn’t want to miss the park, so we arrived early — before 7 AM, when the sky was just getting light. We entered through the main gate.
Heming Teahouse and Banbian Market
Right inside the main gate, a stone bridge crosses Jinshui Stream. Past the bridge, a wide path leads into the park. On the left is the famous Heming Teahouse; on the right is Banbian Market.
Heming Teahouse was founded in 1923 and is one of the oldest teahouses in Chinese history. With nearly a century behind it, it has seen the changes of time. It still keeps the original tea culture and the laid-back lifestyle of old Chengdu. The setup is simple: bamboo chairs, wooden chairs, wooden tables — plain and honest, like sitting in your own courtyard.
What makes Heming Teahouse special is its long history and the fact that you can watch long-spout teapot performances and Sichuan opera. Many out-of-town visitors come here to check it off their list and experience Chengdu’s leisure culture.
Because we arrived early, the teahouse wasn’t open yet. We could see the tightly packed tea tables and chairs, and imagine how lively it gets during the day.
From the main gate, follow the small alley on the right and you’ll find the bustling Banbian Market, directly opposite Heming Teahouse.
Pro tip: Come early if you want to see the teahouse without the crowds — but come later if you want to feel the buzz.
The Famous Matchmaking Corner
A few steps further is the park’s famous Matchmaking Corner. Along the sidewalk, between the trees, rows of marriage ads hang on display. Women’s cards are pink, men’s are light blue. There’s a rich mix of profiles — young and old. I only photographed one side of the pink cards, and there was a whole other side I didn’t capture, but you can already tell there are more unmarried women than men. The Matchmaking Corner has become a signature feature of People’s Park.
A Place to Remember History
People’s Park isn’t just a leisure spot — it’s also a place to honor revolutionary martyrs and learn about history. There are three places in the park to learn about the Sichuan Railway Protection Movement.
Chengdu Bombing Memorial Wall
From November 1938 to December 1944, Sichuan suffered over six years of brutal bombing, leaving Chengdu in ruins. The Chengdu Bombing brought deep, unhealed pain to the people of Chengdu. A wall stands in a prominent spot in the park, inscribed so that we remember history as a mirror.
Just past the memorial wall, you’ll see the sculpture commemorating the victims of the bombing, which artistically depicts the tragedy.
Follow the north side of the memorial wall westward and you’ll reach the Railway Protection Memorial Square, built in 2004 to commemorate the 1911 Sichuan Railway Protection Movement. In the center of the square stands the Monument to the Martyrs of the 1911 Railway Protection Movement.
Chengdu No. 1 Air-Raid Shelter
(Note: The source mentions this as a site, but provides no further details.)
Monument to the Martyrs of the 1911 Railway Protection Movement
Built in 1913. In 1911, the Railway Protection Movement broke out in Sichuan, also known as the “Railway Storm.” To commemorate the martyrs of the movement, this monument was built in what was then Shaocheng Park (the predecessor of People’s Park). The monument is 31.85 meters tall, and the inscriptions on its four sides were written by four famous calligraphers of the time: Zhang Xuechao, Yan Kai, Wu Zhiying, and Zhao Xi. It is a nationally protected cultural relic.
On June 13, 1911, the four-power loan contract arrived in Chengdu. Over 2,400 Chengdu residents petitioned the court to postpone taking over the Chuan-Han Railway, but were reprimanded. Soon after, more than 2,000 people from various Chengdu groups formed the “Sichuan Railway Protection Comrades Association,” and branches sprang up across the province, with membership quickly reaching hundreds of thousands. In August 1911, mass strikes and school boycotts erupted; by September, it had grown into a province-wide tax and grain resistance. Under pressure from the Qing court, Sichuan Governor Zhao Erfeng lured and arrested leaders of the Railway Protection Association and shareholders’ meeting on September 7. Tens of thousands of Chengdu residents rushed to the governor’s office to demand their release. Zhao Erfeng ordered troops to fire, killing over thirty people — this was the Chengdu Massacre of the Railway Protection Movement. The movement is regarded as “the fuse of the 1911 Revolution.”
Directly opposite the monument is a ginkgo-lined path. At the end of the path is the Ginkgo Pavilion.
Sichuan Railway Protection Movement History Exhibition Hall
The Ginkgo Pavilion is one of the earliest buildings in the park. It now houses the Sichuan Railway Protection Movement History Exhibition Hall. It’s a two-story brick building and one of the three remaining Republican-era architectural relics in People’s Park. Its predecessor was a public education museum called the “Popular Education Hall,” built in 1924 by Yang Sen, then the military and administrative governor of Sichuan. During the War of Resistance, it was destroyed in the Japanese bombing of Chengdu and was rebuilt on the original site in the 1950s. In 2007, it was converted into the Sichuan Railway Protection Movement History Exhibition Hall.
Next to the Ginkgo Pavilion, a small path leads to the park’s South Gate. Along the path are a children’s playground and Shaocheng Garden. Inside Shaocheng Garden there’s a teahouse and a bonsai garden.
Bonsai Garden
The Bonsai Garden was built in 1986, converted from the former Orchid Garden of Shaocheng Park. It carries on the Sichuan-style bonsai tradition. With its elegant environment, it’s a garden within a garden — a very quiet and refined spot. Western-style architecture blends with Chinese garden pavilions, corridors, clear ponds, and small bridges, creating a unique charm. The exquisite bonsai garden has a rich variety of bonsai, unique shapes, lush trees, and an elegant environment.
The Artificial Lake
The artificial lake was built in 1965. It’s roughly gourd-shaped and covers about 20 mu. The quaint, elegant Goldfish Island and Yongju Old Teahouse are located in the lake. Willows, hibiscus, weeping crabapple, and peach trees are planted along the shore. You can stroll along the lake, sit and rest, chat, play on your phone — it’s especially good for just zoning out.
A Morning Observation: Where Is Everyone?
Because we were in a hurry, we rushed through People’s Park in under an hour. Since it was early morning, there weren’t many people — just one or two elderly folks strolling. We noticed something odd: it was already past 7 AM, and still hardly anyone. Back in Shijiazhuang, near my home at Water Park, before 6 AM there are already quite a few morning exercisers — doing tai chi, practicing sword. After 6, even more: brisk walkers, boxers, dancers, jump-ropers — all kinds of fitness groups, several batches of each. On the rubber track, people stroll in a steady stream from 6 to 9 AM. It’s packed and quite a sight.
But Chengdu’s parks are strange — quiet, and you won’t see a single young person. It reminded me of what a chatty taxi driver said: Chengdu people are just on a slow rhythm. Like when we drive, if the car ahead is slow, I can’t speed up either — I just follow slowly, and that causes traffic jams. Once, a 5-kilometer trip took two hours. I remember a passenger saying, “I could have walked there in that time.”
Chengdu also has lots of bars. At midnight, young people are just heading out in twos and threes to drink. Old people go to teahouses during the day to drink tea, listen to opera, chat, and get their ears cleaned. Chengdu doesn’t get many sunny days, especially in winter — when the sun comes out, everyone rushes to open spaces to sunbathe. Chengdu people are used to sleeping late and waking late, which is why the park is so empty in the morning.
Truly, contentment brings happiness — Ba Shi Chengdu!
Practical Tips
- Best time to visit: Early morning is quiet and cool, but if you want to see the teahouse and market in full swing, come later in the day.
- Don’t miss: Heming Teahouse for tea and performances, Banbian Market for local snacks and goods, and the historical monuments for a dose of Chengdu’s past.
- Getting around: The park is walkable, but wear comfortable shoes — there’s a lot to see.
- Combine with: The park is centrally located, so you can easily pair it with nearby attractions like Tianfu Square or Wide and Narrow Alleys.
So next time you’re in Chengdu, set aside a morning or afternoon for People’s Park. Grab a cup of tea, watch the world go by, and soak in the slow life. It’s the perfect way to understand why Chengdu is called a city of contentment.
