XuanWu Park
XuanWu Park
4.5
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
394 reviews
Excellent
183
Very good
173
Average
37
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Deanosaur89
Edmonton, Canada8,742 contributions
Mar 2021 • Couples
The entrance near Metro station Jimingsi is very busy with the Jiming Temple, a good access point to the top of the city wall and the lake area itself. We got in just past the gate and thought the area was fairly crowded and grabbed a boat to go around the lake.
Entry to the park area is free but it is very popular. The cost to rent a small motorized boat is 140 RMB/hour. We stuck to the less crowded west side of the lake and were able to get good views of Zifeng Tower, the ancient city wall and the top of Jiming Temple. It was a little hazy while we were in Nanjing but we thoroughly enjoyed our boat ride and would recommend it to friends.
There were quite a few inexperienced boaters so we kept our distance and watched a few rounds of bumper boats! Don't worry though they go really slow for the most part!
After we finished on the lake we climbed on to the ancient city wall which gave great views of the lake and surrounding area from the high wall.
Entry to the park area is free but it is very popular. The cost to rent a small motorized boat is 140 RMB/hour. We stuck to the less crowded west side of the lake and were able to get good views of Zifeng Tower, the ancient city wall and the top of Jiming Temple. It was a little hazy while we were in Nanjing but we thoroughly enjoyed our boat ride and would recommend it to friends.
There were quite a few inexperienced boaters so we kept our distance and watched a few rounds of bumper boats! Don't worry though they go really slow for the most part!
After we finished on the lake we climbed on to the ancient city wall which gave great views of the lake and surrounding area from the high wall.
Written March 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara S
Oklahoma City, OK798 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Xuanwu Park is composed of a large lake with five isles, pagodas, and several beautiful gardens. During the Song Dynasty the lake was said to be twice as big and was a training ground for the emperor’s navy. In the Ming Dynasty, the park could only be visited by the imperial families and thus was a Forbidden Land. Today this park is visited by both residents and tourists year round. My family and I really enjoyed our time there. Still I think warm weather may be necessary for one to have the best experience at the park. The highlight of the visit, which would not be affected by temperature, was the incredible Xuanwu Gate, the park’s main entrance.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ceciltong
Singapore68 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
The Chinese have a penchant for gardens and the manicured Xuanwu Park does not disappoint. It comprises 5 islands on a lake and is easily accessible by Metro (Line 1, northbound from Xinjiekou Stn to Xuanwumen Stn) via the historical Ming dynasty Xuanwu Men (Gate). Last weekend (August 10th), the water lilies were in bloom, and despite the 35-40 C temperatures, the locals picnicked and danced. Boating is also available at several parts of the lake. Near Xuanwumen Stn (exit 4) is Hunan Road which offers several shopping and dining options.
Written August 13, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MrJoeG
Minneapolis, MN167 contributions
Aug 2013 • Solo
This nice park in the middle of the lake convinced me that Nanjing is a better tourist stop than Hangzhou. I personally enjoyed walked through the XuanWu park much more than walking around Hangzhou's West Lake. There are a lot of interesting things to look at in the 3 islands and walkways. Renting a small electric boat is cheap and fun. The park does get quite busy on the weekend.
Written August 31, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
geo3
Calgary, Canada2,167 contributions
Apr 2019
What a great use of a large urban lake! This is one of the nicest urban parks I have ever visited. I visited this park twice, since park entrance is free and since it was close to my hotel (once for an evening stroll and once for a morning walk).
To walk around the entire lake would take a very long time, but since it is free it doesn't feel as if you have to visit the entire park at once, but can do so in segments. Also the islands in the lake mean that you can do a partial circuit of the lake quite easily, and shorten the distance.
The park is very well-maintained. While there were certainly some tourists in the park, many of the people were clearly locals, including representatives of the ubiquitous Chinese tradition of retired people playing games in their nearest park. The park is large enough that is easy to escape to relatively uncrowded areas if you wish.
To walk around the entire lake would take a very long time, but since it is free it doesn't feel as if you have to visit the entire park at once, but can do so in segments. Also the islands in the lake mean that you can do a partial circuit of the lake quite easily, and shorten the distance.
The park is very well-maintained. While there were certainly some tourists in the park, many of the people were clearly locals, including representatives of the ubiquitous Chinese tradition of retired people playing games in their nearest park. The park is large enough that is easy to escape to relatively uncrowded areas if you wish.
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FlyfishermanBeijing
Beijing, China278 contributions
Dec 2019
Xuanwu park is actually quite big. Enter to park is free of charge but if you want visit at top of city wall, you need pay 30 rmb fee.
Park itself is quite typical Chinese park, with rented boats, merry go around etc. My favourite part of this park was Bonsai garden at island of lake.I special recommend to walk top of wall, it gives nice view and feeling about ancient China.
Park itself is quite typical Chinese park, with rented boats, merry go around etc. My favourite part of this park was Bonsai garden at island of lake.I special recommend to walk top of wall, it gives nice view and feeling about ancient China.
Written December 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
eehey
San Diego, CA66 contributions
Nov 2018
XuanWu Park is the one I visited ever since my childhood. located in the center city with university and government offices close by. Lakes, islands, lotus, the view is spectacular and just good distance for a walk. There is city wall surrounded and temple nearby.
Written January 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JamieNYC
Clearwater, FL1,826 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
Parks are nicest when they are on water, and the combination of forest and lake are what makes this park so pleasant. XuanWu Park is a series of connected Islands with the occasional monument. I was here twice: the first time at dusk and then in the morning. It reminds me a bit of the more famous West Lake in Hangzhou.
One thing that was out of place: a huge yellow rubber duck in the water that lit up and started making noise in the evening.
One thing that was out of place: a huge yellow rubber duck in the water that lit up and started making noise in the evening.
Written April 14, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jarko2015
Amsterdam, The Netherlands1,731 contributions
Sep 2017 • Solo
This really is a huge space, covering almost 10 hectares, despite being in the heart of the city. It's mainly water, but there are lots of islands, embankments, bridges and pavilions to discover if you don't want to take a boat trip. Not much in the way of shade, so it can be quite brutal in high summer. The largest remaining part of the old Ming Wall lines the west and southern park border. The park entrance is free, but the activities inside and the wall visit all carry fees.
Written September 22, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barb S
Woodinville, WA89 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
We really enjoyed our walk through the park. There is a lot going on with food and activities. We even stumbled across a "Bite of China", very interesting to see all the different foods. Just beware the pollution is so incredibly bad in Nanjing, no one gets in the water. It was sunny and blue sky (according to my phone) but we never say the sky because of the pollution. Somehow that is sad to me, to have this beautiful outdoor place for people to enjoy, and it's so polluted.
Written November 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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