A Tiny New Park in Chengdu: 46 Mu of Song-Dynasty Charm, Steps from Zhaojue Temple

Chengdu keeps building parks — it’s one of the joys of living here. You don’t have to travel far to find a Chengdu park, and the “park city” reputation is well earned. Most new city parks these days sprawl over thousands of mu, but they all look the same: a lake, a big lawn, some trees. Then I stumbled on a brand-new park that breaks the mold completely.

It’s called Zhaojueli Cultural Waterfront Park (昭觉里文化滨水公园) — small, refined, and brand new. The name tells you plenty: it’s close to the ancient Zhaojue Temple, it has cultural depth, and it sits by the water. Sounds promising, right? It absolutely delivers.

What to Expect at Zhaojueli

The park just officially opened this month. It’s not big — 31,000 square kilometers, which works out to 46.5 mu. Even People’s Park downtown, which I already thought was small, is over 160 mu. So this is a pocket-sized park, but a polished one. A quick loop takes about 20 minutes.

Unlike those mega-parks, Zhaojueli has little bridges over flowing water, hillsides, plenty of trees, pavilions, terraces, and winding corridors. It’s full of layers and follows that classical garden style from the past — the way a park really should be. Big parks often feel flat: one big lawn, and on a hot day you bake in the sun.

Local insight: This is the kind of place where you slow down. Every few steps, the view changes — one step, one scene.

A Neighbor to Zhaojue Temple

Zhaojueli Cultural Waterfront Park sits right against the wall of the famous ancient Zhaojue Temple. The temple was first built during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty and is known as “the first Zen forest of western Sichuan.” Along with Wenshu Monastery and Daci Temple, it’s one of Chengdu’s three great temples.

Song-Dynasty Aesthetics in the City

As the saying goes, without mountains and water, how can you find leisure in the years? Zhaojueli’s beauty comes from its Song Dynasty garden design — it brings the minimalist, negative-space Song aesthetic into the modern city. Inside, you’ll see several earth-yellow buildings with flying eaves, green tiles, and wooden structures. There’s none of the grand scale of northern royal gardens, nor the deliberate piled-up shapes of Jiangnan private gardens. Instead, bluestone paths wind into quiet corners, clear pond water reflects dark eaves, and distant high-rises mirror in the water. Residents living nearby are truly lucky.

Qinglong Pond: The Heart of the Park

Qinglong Pond sits in the middle of the park. It’s September now, autumn, and the summer heat is gone. The pond surface still has many water lilies, though at this time of year only scattered flowers remain — the large leaves spread across the water, keeping it lush and green. Willow branches on the bank sweep the surface, stirring ripples. Occasionally koi swim by, adding a touch of life to the quiet. The rockery on the bank is piled high, with water trickling down from it — for a moment, you feel that poetic scene: “Bright moon shines among the pines, clear spring flows over the rocks.”

Bridges, Flowers, and Waterside Plants

A stone bridge spans the blue waves, elegant and simple, connecting the scenery on both banks. Stand here and you can take in the lake and hills at a glance. Right now, Zhaojueli also has various flowers blooming — red, yellow, purple — and by the water there are aquatic plants like calamus and reeds. The autumn wind sways them, just like the vast beauty in the Book of Songs: “The reeds are thick and white dew becomes frost.”

Corridors and Pavilions

By the pond there’s a winding corridor and pavilion. The long corridor twists and turns; some visitors sit here chatting or resting, while kids dart through, free and lively. On hot days, it’s a great place to cool off. The park really is one step, one pause, one scene.

A Note on the Season: Osmanthus and Autumn

I’m writing this just before Mid-Autumn Festival 2026. This year Chengdu’s osmanthus season is unusually long — it may bloom in three waves, with fragrance lingering in the city until mid-October. Imagine when the golden osmanthus is in full bloom: by Qinglong Pond in Zhaojueli, the scent floats, blending with the green water. What an intoxicating scene. The poet Song Zhiwen wrote, “Osmanthus falls from the moon, heavenly fragrance drifts beyond the clouds.” Here, that line no longer feels out of reach — isn’t this the quality of life city dwellers search for?

Trees and Future Growth

The park has many trees, especially on the hillside where several valuable pines were planted. They went in this year, so they haven’t reached full leafy splendor yet. In two more years, I think the park will be a sea of green and even more beautiful.

Walking the Outer Path

Follow the outer walkway and you’ll pass rows of bamboo. Toward the parking lot entrance, Zhaojue Temple is just over the wall — red walls, green bamboo, full of ancient charm. In the distance, you can see the tall bell and drum towers inside the temple.

What’s Still Being Finished

The ancient-style buildings in the park are all built, though some areas are still being renovated. They should be completely done before the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays. By then, many visitors who’ve toured Zhaojue Temple can easily stop by here too. I suspect those buildings will be used for commercial purposes — likely selling snacks, food, and cultural creative items.

Practical Info

• Address: West side of Zhaojue Temple, Chenghua District (right next to the Hongmen Weir water system)
• Tickets: Free
• Transport: Metro Line 3 to Zhaojuesi South Road Station or Zoo Station, then about a 10-minute walk. Driving is also easy — the park has over 300 parking spaces, which is relatively plentiful.
• Tips: Light-colored clothing, new Chinese style, or hanfu look best in photos. Good photo spots: Sheng Yan Bridge for reflections of the corridor on the lake, the waterside corridor for framed views, and the mountain-style rockery and stream for small scenes.

In our busy lives, having a park like this is a comfort. It reminds us that even in hurried times, there’s always a corner of the world to hold our body and mind, to rest and start again. With good weather and the holidays coming, why not take a stroll through this little park and feel Zhaojueli’s charm? Do you like parks like this?