Donghu Park (East Lake) and Shenzhen Art Museum

This article was originally published on July 16, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

Lush foliage surrounds East Lake

On a hot summer afternoon, head over to Donghu (East Lake) park for a relaxing stroll by the waterside.

The lake itself is actually the spillway of the massive Shenzhen Reservoir; with more than 40 million cubic meters, a government website claims it's "the main water source for Shenzhen and Hong Kong."

A statue of Confucius near the art museum--with one of his descendants, perhaps?

Before you hit the water, take a look at the classy Shenzhen Art Museum, right up against the reservoir itself. (The museum is actually in Shuiku [Reservoir] Park, not Donghu Park.) A remodel a few years ago added more gallery space and an upgraded collection of contemporary local artists to this thirty-plus-year veteran of the Shenzhen art scene.

A closed Ferris wheel and…

…a spinning ride in the Fun Zone

Just down the hill (you'll pass it on the way in) is a colorful "fun zone" for kids, with a closed-basket Ferris wheel, spinning rides, and carnival games in a surprisingly open and uncrowded environment.

The "zoo" entrance

There's a petting zoo nearby; I generally find zoos of all kinds depressing (and this one was no exception), but it does host some deer and monkeys, a scruffy ostrich, and an emu and other birds. Watch for the caged pigeons and housecats!

A bridge on the lake

When you finish in the northern end of the park, take that long-awaited stroll southward, enjoying the peace and quiet. Criss-cross the lake on the bridges, or rent a pedal-boat behind the Luohu Buddhist Association Hall.

Characters from "A Journey to the West" used to stand near the park's south end; alas, they're gone

At the south end of the park is a relatively new Buddhist temple with great statuary inside. But there's bad news for old-timers: The kitshcy statues from "Journey to the West," along with the wonderfully fake "temple cave," are gone, replaced by this Wanfo ("Thousand Buddha") Temple. Ah, impermanence.

Donghu Park is just across the water from Fairy Lake Park and Hongfa Temple.

GPS Info:

• Donghu Park = 22.5653, 114.1475
• Shenzhen Art Museum = 22.57089, 114.14706

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