[2025 Ezhou Attraction] Travel Guide for Guanyinge Park (Updated Feb)

Ezhou was the ancient capital of the Eastern Wu, and on the embankment outside the Xiaodong Gate, there stands a gigantic rock in the middle of the river, winding like a dragon, known as 'Longpan Rock'. It is said that before Sun Quan made Wuchang (now Ezhou) his capital, a yellow dragon lay coiled on the rock for several days before leaving, hence it is also called 'Coiled Dragon Stone'. The Coiled Dragon Stone looks westward with its head raised, shrouded in a layer of mist, resembling a mirage. What's more amazing is that an ancient temple shaped like a boat stands abruptly on the dragon's head, suspended in the air, towering across the river. This is the awe-inspiring Guanyin Pavilion of Ezhou, also known as Longpan Rock Temple. On the Yangtze River that stretches for thousands of miles, from Bashu in the west to Wusong in the east, only the Guanyin Pavilion of Ezhou stands proudly at the head of the rock, like a pillar in the midst of the stream, thus it is also known as 'The First Pavilion of the Yangtze River'. Guanyin Pavilion was originally built during the Song Dynasty and rebuilt in the fifth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1345 AD), with multiple renovations during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The pavilion faces west and is built on a platform of piled stones on the rock. There are three halls: the Ancestral Master Hall, Guanyin Hall, and Laojun Hall, as well as buildings such as the Chunyang Tower and Guanlan Pavilion. Guanyin Pavilion faces west, is 14 meters high, and its base is more than 1 meter thick, made of stones that are 60 centimeters long, 20 centimeters wide, and 25 centimeters thick. During the dry season, the entire base of Longpan is almost completely exposed, but during major floods, the Guanyin Pavilion can be submerged up to the second floor, and the front wave barrier has been completely underwater. Yet, the Guanyin Pavilion still stands firmly in the heart of the river, undisturbed for a thousand years, which is truly astonishing. Guanyin Pavilion of Ezhou, also known as 'Longpan Rock Temple', is located on Longpan Rock of the Yangtze River outside Xiaodong Gate in Echeng District, Ezhou City, Hubei Province. It was built in the fifth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1345 AD). This building faces west, stands against the current, is 24 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 14 meters high. The base is piled with strip stones, and the body of the pavilion is built with blue bricks. It is a typical wooden frame structure pavilion-style building, with one pavilion, three halls, and two floors, covering a total area of more than 300 square meters. Guanyin Pavilion of Ezhou is well laid out and exquisitely constructed, with red railings and corridors, and flying eaves, displaying the typical artistic characteristics of southern Chinese folk architecture. At the same time, it also integrates the cultures of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and is the only place in the vast Yangtze River, hence it is known as 'The First Pavilion of the Yangtze River'. On May 25, 2006, Guanyin Pavilion of Ezhou was approved and announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

There are too many tourists in Wuhan, and the attractions are crowded. It's better to go to the city of Ezhou, which is also on the Yangtze River. Here is the Guanyin Pavilion, the 'First Pavilion of the Yangtze River' There is delicious Wuchang fish. It was once the capital of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. Beautiful scenery, lots of food, and a rich historical heritage. Coming here really makes me feel that this is a small city of treasure! · Transportation: 🚅High-speed train: It takes only 20 minutes to depart from Wuhan, which is faster than the subway from Guanggu to Hankou. 🚗Self-driving: It is more than an hour's drive from Wuhan city, and there are plenty of parking spaces in the scenic area. · 🚶🏻‍♂️Route recommendation: Ezhou Station👉Xishan Scenic Area (up the mountain)👉Wuchang Tower👉Wu King's Summer Palace👉Ancient Lingquan Temple (down the mountain)👉Ezhou Museum👉Guanyin Pavilion👉Wuchang Gate👉Intangible Cultural Heritage Wuchang Fish · Attraction recommendation: ⛰️Xishan Scenic Area: 4A-level tourist attraction, the mountain is not high, but it's quite big inside. Wuchang Tower, Summer Palace, and Ancient Lingquan Temple are all inside, and it takes about 3--4 hours to play. 🏯Wuchang Tower: The view of the sunset is great, facing the wilderness of mountains and rivers, you can also overlook the Yangtze River. 🕌Ancient Lingquan Temple: One of the birthplaces of the 'Pure Land Sect', there are also Lingquan Temple, Hanxi Academy, Bodhisattva Spring, and Qinglong Bridge in the mountains. It's very playable and photogenic. You can go down the mountain from the red steps on the left side of the road, and you will get to Qinglong Bridge. You can also go up the mountain from here, and you will get to Xiuyuan in a while. 🏛️Ezhou Museum: It's quite close to Xishan Scenic Area, no need to make an appointment. It displays the style of Ezhou as the capital of Wu, and the ancient bronze mirrors on the second floor are the most outstanding. After all, Ezhou is known as the 'hometown of ancient bronze mirrors', and it takes about 1.5 hours to visit. 💒Guanyin Pavilion: Known as the 'First Pavilion of the Yangtze River', it has stood in the river for more than 700 years despite the wind and waves. Unfortunately, it is not open, but you can chase the sunset by the river. ⛩️Wuchang Gate: Although it is newly built, it is indeed the location of the Wu King City during the Three Kingdoms period. The spring breeze when Wu Emperor ascended the throne is just like the river breeze coming on. · 🍱Food recommendation ①Ghost Brother Fried Noodles: Ten yuan a serving, lots of meat, choose noodles or rice noodles, the specialty is round noodles, sour and spicy, if you can't eat spicy, be sure to let the master put less dried chili. ②Ya Hui Tea Restaurant: An old brand, the first floor is marinated duck goods, you can order dishes upstairs. ③Big Bowl Kitchen·Intangible Cultural Heritage Wuchang Fish: The birthplace of Wuchang fish, a shop that has been on CCTV, Ezhou is the original place of Wuchang fish, if you like to eat fish, don't miss it. · Although it is the smallest prefecture-level city, it bears the abbreviation of Hubei Province. Although the sparrow is small, it has all the internal organs. There are all kinds of food, drink, play, and live.