The only island on the Huangpu River is home to Fuxing Island, a Japanese-style garden with a rich historical heritage

Fuxing Island Park may not be large, but its green landscape is a delight to the eye. The park, verdant as the sea, is brimming with life, offering a refreshing respite for visitors. If you come here in early spring, you can walk through the cherry blossom path and savor the fragrance of the early blooms; in summer, sit under the big trees with a few good friends, chatting and enjoying the cool breeze, for a truly pleasant life; by the golden autumn, the yellow fallen leaves form paths, picturesque like a poem; in winter, sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting shadows that sway with the trees, adding a touch of warmth to the cold season. This park has witnessed nearly a hundred years of historical changes, as well as the humiliation of old China and the rejuvenation of new China. The park was originally used as a recreational resort for the Shanghai Dredging Bureau's Sports Association in 1930, but after the outbreak of the 'August 13th' War of Resistance in 1937, it was occupied by the invading Japanese naval infantry, and the entire Dinghai Island was occupied by the Japanese army as barracks and supply depots, and was renamed 'Showa Island', with a Japanese military command established. The Sports Association's garden was also transformed into a Japanese-style courtyard, with evergreen trees, various shrubs, and cherry trees planted throughout. Japanese-style cottages, pavilions, and towers were built. Thus, after eight years of war and Japanese occupation, the garden took on a unique Japanese courtyard style. After the victory of the war in 1945, it was occupied by the Nationalist army's navy, and the Fuxing Island Liberation Monument was erected in the garden (destroyed during the Cultural Revolution). There is a small and exquisite villa in the park called 'Bai Lu', where Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Shanghai on the Jiangjing ship on April 26, 1949, at the end of the Liberation War, to deploy military defenses in Shanghai in a desperate struggle. However, by May 7, Chiang saw that the situation was hopeless, the People's Liberation Army was unstoppable, and the Nationalist army was in disarray and utterly unable to resist the imminent liberation of Shanghai. Chiang fled Shanghai overnight by boat, heading to Taiwan in a dismal state, marking his last 11 tragic days on the mainland, spent on Fuxing Island, now in the 'Bai Lu' of Fuxing Island Park. After liberation, the Shanghai Port Authority took over Fuxing Island, which was rejuvenated in 1951 when Fuxing Island Park was renovated and reopened by the People's Government, expanding to over 40,000 square meters. The park is surrounded by green hedges of palm, metasequoia, and coral trees. The park has over 10,000 square meters of lawn, and is planted with many fragrant camphor, magnolia, cypress, black pine, metasequoia, pittosporum, osmanthus, wisteria, and other trees and shrubs. Last year (2023), the park was also rated as a three-star park by the Shanghai Garden Management Bureau. Let me tell you a secret, maybe you don't know? The Fuxing Island Park Party and Mass Service Station is now housed in the 'Bai Lu', which was renovated from the 'Bai Lu', listed as Shanghai's fifth batch of outstanding historical buildings. Transportation route: Exit 2 of Fuxing Island Station on Metro Line 12 Opening hours: Open all year round, free of charge, no reservation needed Self-driving address: No. 386, Gongqing Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai