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Xihewan Hakka Cultural Tourism Industrial Park in Meizhou
Xihewan Hakka Cultural Industry Park (梅州市熙和湾客乡文化产业园) is located in Lanpai Village, Yonghe Town, Xingning City, Meizhou, Guangdong Province. Covering an area of over 11,700 acres, it is a national AAAA-level scenic area that integrates tourism, leisure, sports, and vacation, themed around Hakka culture, lantern culture, and surname culture. Construction began in 2012.
Major Attractions
Xihewan Hakka Cultural Industry Park boasts 128 attractions, including:
- Lantern Tower (花灯楼): Recognized by the Guinness World Records.
- Hakka Traditional Ancient Houses (客家特色古民居)
- Yunding Glass Suspension Bridge (云顶玻璃吊桥)
- Ice and Snow World (冰雪世界)
- Sky Drift (云景空中漂流)
- Food Street (美食街)
- Xihewan Space Water World (熙和湾太空水世界)
- Cultural Expo Park (三百文化博览园)
- Lake Jing Villa (湖璟山庄)
- Wetland Park (湿地公园)
- Colorful Amusement Park (缤纷游乐园)
- Folk Sculpture Gallery (民俗民居雕塑长廊)
- Hakka Museum (客家博物馆)
- Swan Waterfall (天鹅飞瀑)
- Poetry Square (诗书广场)
The park’s centerpiece, the Lantern Tower, stands 36 meters tall, showcasing the spirit of Xingning, known as “the hometown of Chinese lanterns,” while preserving the Hakka people’s lantern appreciation culture. The Hakka Museum, folk sculptures, and other cultural attractions reflect the industriousness, simplicity, and educational values of the Hakka people, along with their epic history of five migrations.
In 2014, the park was recognized as a national selected tourism project by the Ministry of Tourism of China and designated as a model rural leisure tourism site in Guangdong Province. In December 2017, the Lantern Tower received the Guinness World Record for “the largest lantern-shaped building.” In August 2018, it was officially rated as a national 4A scenic area.
Geographic Location
Xihewan Hakka Cultural Industry Park is situated in Lanpai Village, Yonghe Town, Xingning City, Meizhou, Guangdong Province, with an area of over 11,700 acres.
Climate Features
Yonghe Town, where Xihewan Hakka Cultural Industry Park is located, has an average annual rainfall of 1580 mm and an average annual temperature of 20.4°C. The lowest recorded temperature is -2.7°C, while the highest is 37.8°C. The average sunshine duration is 2065 hours.
Overview
The park is a comprehensive industrial area themed around Hakka culture, combining tourism, leisure, sports, and vacation. It is designed according to the concept of “One Center, Two Forms, Three Characteristics, Four Sections, and Five Uniques.” The “One Center” focuses on Hakka lantern culture, while “Two Forms” incorporates both dynamic and static elements. The “Three Characteristics” highlight uniqueness, cultural significance, and entertainment value centered on Hakka culture. The “Four Sections” include new Hakka residences, cultural tourism, leisure sports, and ecological vacation areas. The “Five Uniques” aim to establish a unique lantern appreciation culture, the tallest lantern building, the largest lantern museum, the first pavilion exhibition park, and the largest cultural garden.
Amusement Park
The Xihewan Amusement Park covers an area of approximately 100,000 square meters with a total investment of about 150 million yuan. It is designed against the backdrop of Xingning’s 2000-year history, combining thrilling and dreamlike experiences with local culture, imagination, and art to create a large water and land theme park that integrates culture, knowledge, fun, entertainment, and participation.
Theme Park
The Leyouyou Theme Park is located within the Xihewan Hakka Cultural Industry Park and was developed through a collaboration between Xihe Group and Hangyi Leyouyou Cultural Tourism. This theme park features an ultra-large summer water park, a children’s go-kart track, and a family-friendly non-motorized extension park.
Lantern Tower
The Lantern Tower (花灯楼), with a total investment of 46 million yuan, is a building characterized by Hakka culture and serves as the park’s landmark. With a total floor area of 1,650 square meters and standing 36.6 meters tall, it is the tallest lantern building in the world and houses a lantern museum that features the largest variety of lanterns in China. In December 2017, the Lantern Tower was awarded the Guinness World Record for “the largest lantern-shaped building.”
Wanzi Garden
Wanzi Garden (万紫御园) features a mountain flower sea over 1,000 acres, primarily constructing nine themed gardens (Royal Flower Garden, Camellia Garden, Osmanthus Garden, Rhododendron Garden, Taiwanese Cherry Blossom Garden, Crape Myrtle Garden, Leaf Flower Garden, Magnolia Garden, and Ruyi Mountain Flower Garden) and seven experiential projects (Pigeon Garden, Peacock Garden, Freshwater Aquarium Garden, Non-Motorized Children’s Park, Space Theme Park, Food Kingdom), creating a high-end royal garden focused on simulated aerospace education and comprehensive leisure, sightseeing, and wellness experiences.
Hakka Traditional Houses
Xihewan Hakka Cultural Industry Park has five Hakka traditional ancient houses: Weilong House (围龙屋), Square House (四角楼), Horse Stable House (走马楼), Phoenix House (五凤楼), and Earthen Round House (土围楼). These houses showcase traditional Hakka life and farming tools.
Yunding Glass Suspension Bridge
The Yunding Glass Suspension Bridge (云顶玻璃吊桥), known as “the first bridge in Lingnan,” has a total length of 390 meters and a maximum height of 110 meters, with an investment of over 36 million yuan, making it the longest glass suspension bridge in South China. The bridge features a highway bridge design, advanced parallel steel strand lock, and a three-layer tempered laminated bulletproof glass floor, with a weight capacity of approximately 800 kg per square meter, meeting China’s Class One bridge standards.
Ice and Snow World
The Ice and Snow World (冰雪世界) is an indoor theme park that combines ice skating and snow entertainment activities, featuring skiing, artistic ice sculptures, and a children’s amusement area.
Glass Water Slide
The Glass Water Slide (玻璃水滑道) occupies an area of 1,185 square meters, featuring a 650-meter long and 1.3-meter wide water slide, constructed with steel structure and independent pole foundation. The total investment is 8.16 million yuan, with 500,000 yuan allocated for environmental protection.
Space Water World
The Space Water World (太空水世界) is a classic theme water park that combines fun and sci-fi elements. It features attractions like the Mercury Doomsday, Planet Adventure, Space Tunnel, and Galaxy Flight. Each project has an engaging theme story, with architectural designs focused on the starry sky, emphasizing a strong sense of technology and futurism.
Lantern Culture Town
Xihewan Hakka Cultural Tourism Park – Kexiang Lantern Culture Town plans to cover an area of 3,500 acres, with a total planned investment of about 13 billion yuan, constructed in three phases. The first phase will invest 3 billion yuan, connecting with Meizhou Kexiang to achieve a tourism alliance, using lantern culture tourism to unite people and creating China’s first lantern-themed cultural town as a livable home for the people of Xingning, while promoting urban operation and beautiful rural construction.
Gesang Flower Sea
The Gesang Flower Sea (格桑花海) in Xihewan spans about 100 acres, becoming a beautiful landscape within the park. Additionally, the wetland park features colorful blooms of red and yellow coreopsis and butterfly flowers, creating a vibrant floral world.
Planting Demonstration Base
The rare tree species planting demonstration base is located within Xihewan Hakka Cultural Tourism Park and is the first tree park in Meizhou that integrates forest landscapes, scientific research activities, science popularization education, and tourism.
Forest Health Base
On October 20, 2020, the Forest Health Base of Xihewan Hakka Cultural Tourism Park was included in the list of pilot forest health bases announced by the Guangdong Provincial Forestry Bureau.
Camping Site
The camping site is located on the east side of Fengqi Lake in Xihewan, upgraded from a real-life CS field base. Facilities include restrooms and washing rooms, with tent rental services available. Visitors are welcome to bring their own food for camping.
Cultural Activities
On April 24, 2016, the Guangdong Cultural Xihewan Series Editorial Department held its inauguration ceremony at the Shenzhen Xin Sirun Printing Branch in Xingning. The establishment of this editorial department plays a significant role in promoting Hakka culture, enriching the literary and artistic creation of Xingning City, and enhancing the cultural brand awareness of Xingning.
On May 28, 2016, the first Hakka Nursery Rhyme Festival, organized by the Meizhou Municipal Party Committee’s Propaganda Department and the Meizhou Civilization Office, was held at Xihewan Hakka Cultural Industry Park, with 18 representative teams from Hakka regions like Meizhou, Dongguan, Huizhou, Heyuan, Shaoguan, and Ganzhou participating.
On January 25, 2019, the 7th Lantern Festival of Guangdong Province was held at the park, showcasing Hakka lantern culture and uniting the atmosphere of the Spring Festival.
Recommended Visiting Duration
Recommended Visiting Duration: 2-3 days, especially for family trips or tours with children, to fully enjoy the attractions and activities available in the park.