I live far from Haizhu but I’m more than happy to make the long trip just to visit this huge, beautiful park, which is a part of Haizhu Wetland. Let me tell you why.

My last visit to Haizhu Lake Park was totally unplanned. It was one of those lucky accidents that resulted in my son and I ending up there completely by chance. You see, I like to explore and that includes an inexplicable curiosity about public buses, in fact, let’s add metro too. I often wonder where a particular bus goes, what a specific metro station location hides, what area of Guangzhou have I not seen before (MANY!) and what wonderful thing might I stumble upon if I get off at a random stop and just wander.

I tried to ‘install’ this curiosity in my son too and so we regularly find ourselves having ‘mini adventures’. What I actually planned one Saturday was to take my son for a gentle hike on Baiyunshan in Meihuayuan, Baiyun district, and so despite my urge for the unknown I did ask the bus driver if he was going that way and he was (I can’t read Chinese), thus we jumped on. To my surprise, the bus was zooming through the streets! I must have unknowingly boarded an express bus(did not know those existed).

You live, you learn!

To my momentary dismay, the bus went right past the bus stop I wanted to get off and then DID NOT stop at three stops after that! When it finally did stop, I did not feel like getting off as the location wasn’t interesting. So we carried on (I probably wouldn’t have felt as confident had I not been familiar with the area the bus was driving through). Unexpectedly, after merely 20min on board of this magical mean of transport, my son and I found ourselves in Haizhu district, very close to Haizhu Lake Park.

This was our 3rd visit there and it was the shortest one but lovely nonetheless. We were both very happy with our adventure as we do love this huge park, especially the cafe with a children’s library upstairs!

This library is actually a branch of Guangzhou Children’s Library located in Zhujiang New Town. Kids can browse and read books in a pleasant environment, while parents chill with a drink and a snack downstairs. There is seating outside overlooking the lake and even a small playground right next to it!

Two previous times, my husband and I managed to distract our son so he wouldn’t be badgering us to take the red train going all the way around the lake but this time, my son was older and harder to trick…I had no choice but to pay the extortionate price, per person (my son isn’t even 1.2m)and board the ridiculously expensive but nice train, which allowed us to see the entire lake-if we were on foot, it would have taken us around 3 hours, the lake is that big!Plus walking with a young child takes twice as long as it normally would, right? If your time is limited then the train is the best way to make the most of your visit.

Along the way we passed interesting buildings holding exhibitions and workshops, tens of young girls posing for photos in front of stunning flower fields and Canton Tower in the background, countless families enjoying picnics, playing sports, children bird-watching, people kayaking, paddle-boarding or chilling in boats. The afternoon was beautiful and atmosphere was wonderful, relaxing but lively at the same time.

I think this park has the most going on out of all the parks I have been to but that shouldn’t really be a surprise considering its vast size! If you’d like to try your hand at kayaking or paddle boarding-many young kids were doing it-this is the place to do it!

To me, the best part of the park is a chain of wooden walkways taking you directly above the mangrove-style shallow water. Great for spotting fish, birds and frogs, perfect for little kids. This can be found about halfway round the park.There are also a couple of tea houses located right by the lake, which look really nice, though I can’t recommend any since we always come prepared with snacks.

There is also a playground/mini amusement park for kids. It is separated from the rest of the park and you need to pay extra for your child to play there.

It is worth mentioning that Haizhu Lake Park does allow for people to sit on the grass and that is it not the same place as Haizhu Wetland, it is merely a part of it.

If you’re wondering what’s outside the park or wetland, you’ll be pleased to know that right next to it (visible in the photos) is the impressive Guangzhou Cultural Centre, which consists of 4 floors full exhibitions, where numerous cultural events and performances are held and where one can attend free classes in, for example embroidery or incense making. The grounds are beautiful too, designed in traditional Chinese style with ponds and bridges.

If you or your kids prefer something more youth-centric then on the other side of the park you’ll find Shude Life Pavilion in a newly developed, trendy area with many quirky structures/decorations, drink shops, cafes, eateries and sports facilities. It is a really fun and cool place and as much as it’s suitable for the whole family, I believe teenagers would enjoy it the most.

Have you ever had such lucky accidents or adventures resulting in you finding yourself somewhere unexpected or new?

Info:

• Address: Hai Zhu Hu (Haizhu Lake), 168 Xinjiao Middle Road, Haizhu district, Guangzhou, 广州市海珠区新滘中路168号
• Opening times: 8-18 (7:30-19:30 on Saturdays and Sundays), open every day
• Getting there: Your best option is metro-Take Line 3 to Datang; station is right outside the main entrance to the park.
• Parking: There is a car park near the main entrance but spaces are limited. If that fails, try parking in the village nearby.
• Food: There are a couple of not particularly appealing restaurants within the park (real shame) and food stalls at the main entrance but you’re better off eating in the creative park next door or taking a short drive to the nearby Wanda Plaza.
• Price: Free, the train ride costs 30rmb per person-you pay by scanning a QR code located on the side of the train.
• Facilities: Plenty of toilets of varying standard; some basic baby changing facilities. The road around the park is completely flat therefore this place is ideal for walking with the pram and for the elderly.
• Age: All ages.