A Pavilion Hides a Millennium, Half a Step Meets the Poetry Immortal: Fan Gong Pavilion Park Guide

1. Quick Overview of the Scenic Area

Fan Gong Pavilion Park is located at No. 65, Fan Gongting West Road, Qingzhou. Built in the Northern Song Dynasty, it is named after Fan Zhongyan, who discovered the sweet spring while managing waterworks and cured the people's eye diseases. It is a national AA-level scenic area that integrates "a thousand years of culture + natural landscape." Covering an area of 0.26 square kilometers, the park features ancient sites such as the Three Sages Shrine and the Li Qingzhao Memorial Shrine. The 1,300-year-old Tang Catalpa and 1,000-year-old Song Sophora trees form a canopy that shades the sun. The park was also a filming location for the 1986 version of "Journey to the West" and, with a temperature difference of 3-5°C from the urban area, has become a "famous cultural garden in northern Jiangsu" and a secret summer retreat.

2. 3-Hour Essential Route (Enter from West Gate · Cultural → Natural → Historical Path)

1. Fan Gong Pavilion and Fan Gong Well (30 minutes)
Entering from the west gate, you immediately see the hexagonal pavilion with flying eaves, Fan Gong Pavilion. Beneath the pavilion is an ancient well that once gushed the "sweet spring." The couplet on the pillar, "The well nurtures endless generations whom the people rely on, the spring source never dries, spreading fame through the ages," fully expresses Fan Zhongyan’s benevolent deeds. On the 15th night of each lunar month, moonlight shines directly through the round hole at the top of the pavilion onto the well bottom, creating the spectacular "Heavenly Light Reflecting the Spring" phenomenon not to be missed.

2. Three Sages Shrine (1 hour)
Walk 30 meters east along the bluestone path to the Three Sages Shrine, which enshrines Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, and Ouyang Xiu, three governors of Qingzhou. The murals in Fan Zhongyan’s shrine depict his life philosophy of "worry before others, enjoy after others." Fu Bi’s shrine records his wisdom in disaster relief by "using labor instead of money" to aid 600,000 victims. Ouyang Xiu’s shrine displays a replica manuscript of "The Old Drunkard’s Pavilion." The Tang Catalpa and Song Sophora trees in front of the shrine require three people to embrace, their lush branches symbolizing the enduring spirit of the sages.

3. Li Qingzhao Memorial Shrine (1 hour)
Walk 200 meters south through the bamboo forest to the memorial shrine, renovated in 2023, which preserves the "Yi’an Years." The Return Hall restores the "betting on books and splashing tea" study room and displays a facsimile of the "Jinshi Record." The poetry corridor features stone carvings of "Sheng Sheng Man" paired with Wei Qihou’s semi-cursive script. Scan the QR code to listen to poetry recitations and experience AR recreations of the "Like a Dream" creation scene.

4. Yangxi Lake and Shunhe Tower (40 minutes)
Head north into the natural area. In autumn, the maple leaves and ginkgo trees around Yangxi Lake create a perfect setting for traditional Chinese-style photography. Shunhe Tower, built during the Qing Xianfeng era, is named after Li Qingzhao’s line "When the wild geese return, the moon fills the western tower." Inside the tower, the "Three Sages’ Pure Charm" cultural shop offers a tea brewing experience by the stove, especially delightful for tea tasting and sightseeing on snowy winter days.

5. Ancient City Wall Ruins and Houle Pavilion (30 minutes)
Walk east along the north bank of the lake. The arrow slits on the Ming Dynasty ancient city wall ruins are clearly visible, bearing witness to military history. The Houle Pavilion on the high platform behind the Three Sages Shrine means "taking pleasure after the world’s pleasure." The wisteria trellis to the west of the pavilion blooms like a waterfall in spring, making summer nights perfect for cooling off and reading in a quiet, charming atmosphere.

3. Practical Tips

- Seasonal Highlights: In April, cherry blossoms around Yangxi Lake reflect on ancient buildings, earning it the nickname "Little Kyoto of Northern Jiangsu." From October to November, the Tang Catalpa and ginkgo turn yellow, and crabapple fruits hang heavily in front of the Li Qingzhao Shrine, ideal for shooting traditional Chinese-style photos.
The charm of Fan Gong Pavilion lies in encountering history with every few steps—Fan Gong’s benevolence, Yi’an’s poetry, and the ancient trees’ vigor are all hidden in the landscape. Here, there is no need to rush; slow down and you will understand the true meaning of "A Pavilion Reading a Millennium."