The 3.55 million yuan ($564,000) Shixi Park second phase came under construction on Wednesday and is to be completed in 90 days. The park is located on Shixi Hill west of the Gu Yuan Museum of Art on West Meihua Road in New Xiangzhou.

The project is designed to restore the Yi Lan Ting, or After Orchid Pavilion, upgrade some scenic spots and improve some hill paths. A pavilion will be built on the slope by the pond at the entrance and a trestle road will be constructed to connect the pavilion and pond. An ancient well will be restored and a recreational corridor will built on the platform opposite the pond. Moreover, landscaping and a bridge will be added to improve the scenic areas.

The Xiangzhou District government spent 3.5 million yuan ($556,000) last year constructing Shixi Park and restoring the eight ancient scenic spots.

Shixi Hill is known for rock engravings, which were listed as city-level cultural relics in 1986 and provincial-level cultural relics in 2002. There are more than 32 carvings of poetic and calligraphic inscriptions made between 1831 and 1879 by Bao Jun, a renowned native Lingnan calligrapher, painter and poet of the Qing Dynasty, and other Guangdong men of letters.

Traffic

Transport: City bus no direct area, can take a taxi or chartered to the local area.