Tianjin Water Park is located in Nankai District, Tianjin. It is a national 4A-level scenic area and the largest comprehensive park in Tianjin. With water scenery as its core feature, it combines natural landscapes and cultural landscapes, and is known as the "Little West Lake of the North." The park covers an area of 125 hectares, including 75 hectares of water surface and 50 hectares of land. Its green area exceeds 350,000 square meters, with nearly 200 species of garden flowers and trees planted. The park contains multiple islands, bridges, pavilions, terraces, and towers. It combines the refinement and elegance of Jiangnan gardens while retaining the openness and grandeur of northern gardens. It is an important place for citizens' leisure and entertainment and for tourists' sightseeing.
Historical Culture
Tianjin Water Park was first built in 1950 and officially opened to the public in July 1951. It was originally named "Qinglongtan Water Park" and was later renamed "Tianjin Water Park." The construction of the park made full use of the local original terrain and water conditions and integrated traditional Chinese garden-making techniques with modern landscape design concepts, becoming one of the important achievements of Tianjin's urban construction after the founding of New China.
In the course of its historical development, Water Park has undergone many renovations and expansions. In 2001, the park underwent large-scale renovation, adding multiple scenic spots and amusement facilities and improving its service functions. In 2009, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China, the park was upgraded again, with comprehensive optimization of its landscapes, greenery, and infrastructure. Today, Water Park is not only one of Tianjin's urban landmarks, but also carries the life memories of several generations of Tianjin residents and has witnessed the city's development and changes.
Main Attractions
East Lake and West Lake
East Lake and West Lake are the core waters of Water Park, with a total area of 75 hectares. The two lakes are connected by waterways. The lake shores are winding and surrounded by green trees. There are 11 islands in the lakes, connected to one another by 24 bridges, most of which are winding bridges and arch bridges in various shapes, such as "Liudi Bridge" and "Three-Arch Bridge." They not only facilitate passage but also add layers to the lake scenery. Visitors can take boats to tour and enjoy the lake and mountain scenery, experiencing the artistic conception of "the boat travels in the water, and people sit in a painting."
Kobe Garden
Kobe Garden is located in Water Park. It was built to commemorate the establishment of a sister-city relationship between Tianjin and Kobe, Japan, and was officially completed in 1989. The garden covers an area of about 12,000 square meters and was designed and built entirely in the style of a traditional Japanese garden. It features Japanese-style pavilions, stone lanterns, dry landscape courtyards, and other landscapes, and is planted with cherry blossoms, pines and cypresses, and other plants characteristic of Japan. It displays a rich Japanese garden style and is one of the symbols of Sino-Japanese cultural exchange.
Bonsai Garden
Bonsai Garden is located in the southeast part of the park, covering an area of about 8,000 square meters. It is a specialized garden displaying Chinese bonsai art. The garden collects and exhibits nearly 1,000 bonsai works, covering multiple schools such as the Su school, Chuan school, and Lingnan school. Tree species include pine, cypress, maple, plum blossom, and others. These bonsai have unique shapes and profound artistic conceptions, possessing both ornamental and artistic value. It is a concentrated exhibition site of traditional Chinese bonsai art.
Zoo
Tianjin Zoo is located in the southern part of Water Park, adjacent to Water Park. It covers an area of 53.33 hectares and is a national AAAA-level scenic area. The park raises and exhibits more than 300 species and more than 5,000 wild animals, including giant pandas, golden monkeys, Northeast China tigers, African elephants, and other rare animals. The zoo is divided into areas according to animal species and geographical distribution, with a Panda House, Lion and Tiger Mountain, Primate Animal House, and others. It not only provides visitors with opportunities to observe wild animals, but also undertakes the tasks of animal protection, scientific research, and popular science education.
Tiaoyuan Pavilion
Tiaoyuan Pavilion is located at one of the highest points in Water Park. It is a traditional-style hexagonal pavilion about 15 meters high. Climbing the pavilion allows one to overlook the entire panorama of Water Park. The sparkling waves of East Lake and West Lake, the shady green trees of the surrounding islands, and the distant outline of the city can all be taken in at a glance. It is one of the best locations in the park for viewing the panorama.
Food
Erduoyan Fried Cake
Erduoyan Fried Cake is a famous traditional Tianjin snack, sold at many shops around Water Park. It uses glutinous rice flour as the skin and wraps red bean paste filling inside. After frying, it is golden in color, crispy on the outside, soft and glutinous on the inside, sweet and delicious. The making of fried cakes pays attention to heat and oil temperature, and they need to be fried and eaten on the spot to taste the best texture. It is a Tianjin specialty food not to be missed while touring.
Goubuli Baozi
Goubuli Baozi is Tianjin's signature food, and there are many branches near Water Park. It uses flour as the skin and selects fillings such as pork and three delicacies. It adopts the unique wrapping technique of "eighteen pleats," resulting in a beautiful appearance. After steaming, the buns are soft and delicious, and the filling is tender and juicy with a rich taste. Paired with a bowl of millet porridge or thin porridge, it is a classic way to eat them.
Shuligao
Shuligao is a traditional Tianjin street snack, commonly seen at snack stalls around Water Park. It is made by grinding rice into flour and steaming it to make rice cakes, then spreading various jams, red bean paste, sesame paste, and other seasonings on top. It has a soft and glutinous texture, is sweet and sour and delicious, and is affordable. It is deeply loved by children and tourists.
Park Food Plaza
There is a food plaza in Water Park, located near the amusement facility area. It provides various Chinese fast foods, snacks, and drinks, such as jianbing guozi, guobacai, beef noodles, and others, meeting tourists' dining needs. The plaza has a clean environment and sufficient seating, making it convenient for tourists to replenish energy at any time during their visit.
Tickets：
Free admission. Some attractions and projects in the park require separate charges, such as boat rides.
You can search for the official public account "Tianjin Water Park" on WeChat to obtain the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours：
Opening hours are 6:00-22:00 daily (summer) and 6:30-21:00 (winter). The opening hours of various attractions and amusement facilities in the park differ slightly. The zoo's opening hours are 8:30-17:00 daily (April-October) and 9:00-16:30 (November-next March). Boat operating hours are adjusted according to the season, usually 9:00-17:00 (may be shortened in winter).
Tour Route：
Visitors can enter through the main gate of Water Park and first visit the nearby Bonsai Garden to appreciate bonsai art, taking about 40 minutes; then go to East Lake and take a boat tour of East Lake, West Lake, and the surrounding islands, with an experience time of about 1.5 hours; after disembarking, go to Kobe Garden to experience the style of a Japanese garden, staying for about 1 hour; then walk to Tiaoyuan Pavilion and climb high to look far and overlook the whole park, taking about 30 minutes; at noon, dine at the food plaza in the park; in the afternoon, go to the adjacent zoo to observe various animals, taking about 3 hours. The entire tour takes about 6-7 hours, and visitors can adjust the stay time at each attraction according to their interests.
Transportation：
Bus: You can take Tianjin bus lines 643, 705, 857, 871, Sightseeing Line 2, and others, and get off at "Water Park East Gate" station or "Water Park" station, then walk to enter the scenic area.
Subway: Take Tianjin Metro Line 3, get off at "Zhou-Deng Memorial Hall" station, exit from Exit B, and walk about 10 minutes to reach the north gate of Water Park.
Self-driving: From downtown Tianjin, you can travel via main roads such as Weijin South Road and Fukang Road. There are multiple parking lots around the park, and the parking fee is about 5 yuan/hour.
Must-Visit Attractions：
East Lake and West Lake: The core waters of the park, covering 75 hectares, with 11 islands and 24 bridges. You can take a boat tour and enjoy the lake and mountain scenery, experiencing the integration of natural and cultural landscapes.
Zoo: Covers an area of 53.33 hectares and houses more than 300 species of wild animals, including rare species such as giant pandas. It is a good place for parent-child outings and science education.
Kobe Garden: A 12,000-square-meter Japanese-style garden that displays the style of a traditional Japanese garden. It is a witness to Sino-Japanese cultural exchange, with exquisite and unique scenery.
Travel Suggestions：
It is recommended to arrange the visit in spring (April-May) or autumn (September-October). At this time, the climate is suitable, and the flowers and trees in the park are lush and the scenery is beautiful.
The boat ride is a special project in the park. It is recommended to take it on non-weekend days to avoid crowds and obtain a better touring experience.
Visitors bringing children can prioritize the zoo itinerary. There is a children's play area in the park, allowing children to play and rest.
Prepare comfortable walking shoes. The park is large, and walking tours require more physical strength. You can also rent bicycles in the park (about 30 yuan/hour).
Notes：
Swimming, fishing, privately rowing boats, and other dangerous behaviors are prohibited in the park. Please take care of the flowers, plants, trees, and public facilities in the park, and do not litter.
When taking boats, please obey safety regulations, wear life jackets properly, do not chase or play on the boat, and children must be accompanied by adults.
In the zoo, feeding animals and climbing over fences are prohibited. Please obey the park regulations and observe in a civilized manner.
In summer, pay attention to sun protection and heatstroke prevention, and carry a sunshade and drinking water; in winter, pay attention to keeping warm. Some lake surfaces may freeze, so stay away from dangerous areas.
The park has a large flow of people, especially on holidays. Please take good care of your personal belongings and look after the elderly and children.