Octagonal Diagram Field Relic Park
As one of the magnificent West Lake scenic spots, Octagonal Diagram Field Relic Park is an area of farmland that lies on the south of Hangzhou, an excellent pastoral retreat from hectic life for busy urban people. After the Southern Song Dynasty chose Hangzhou as its capital, the traditional rites and fetes were gradually restored. In the 15th year of Shaoxing Reign, emperor Song Gaozhong gave orders to imitate the ancient governing system of Bianliang Town, the eastern capital city, now called Kaifeng in Henan Province. His command was to allocate some fertile land here for the imperial family, in a similar style to that in the capital, the area chosen was to be within four li (1 li = 500 m) to the south of Jiahui Gate in Lin'an Town (Hangzhou). In the following spring, the emperor held a grand ritual in the field by performing "three pushing's and one pulling" with a plough in hands, and then he prayed for future great harvests and told them to focus more on farming and sericulture. Part of the arable field was changed to a pond in the 1980s in order to produce fishery products. The site and the surrounding scenes have taken a new look after renovation by Hangzhou City Government in 2007, at the same time the park has become a municipal level protected heritage.
According to a description at the entrance of the park, "To govern a country is to develop agriculture", the Octagonal Diagram Field Relic Park inherits this governing principle of ancient China. The park consists of a vegetable field shaped like an octagonal diagram with various crops e.g. soybean, rice, corn and eggplant. In the north of the park, a recreational center and a small tea house providing resting venues for travelers. The Ancient Farming Exhibition Hall displays agricultural tools used during the Southern Song Dynasty with a detailed description, and Tianlong Gumiao (Tianlong Temple) and Baiyun Nunnery at the walking path northwest of the field. The whole scene gives a bucolic feel with beautiful look of Mother Nature, also provides you a peaceful mood with a solemn religious air. After a hard working week, take your friends or your family here, to relax and breathe the clean air. It is an ideal place for children or young people to learn about Chinese agricultural history and environmental issues.
Transportation : Hangzhou bus routes Y3, 809 and 20
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