This was the first park I visited when I came to Shantou. I visited Shantou at the wrong period of the year. It was during the `Golden week' of China's National Day when I came when most hostels were fully booked. In terms of dormitory hostels, Cuobian Youth Hostel at Huoqiaoxincun Road top my list with its reasonably cheap rate and ideal location right in the middle of the city. It was very convenient for me to move around. Unfortunately, it was fully booked on the first day though I managed to book it on the rest of my five days in Shantou. While searching for the next `ideal' accommodation on the very first day, I bumped into this Jingsha Park (金砂公园). The atmosphere was normal. I was expecting some revolutionary celebration at most parks in China on her National Day but I was disappointed. Everything was just normal at this park. No banner, no great socialist slogans, no nationalistic fervor felt at the pavilions, lake and the gardens. It was just a normal park with a lake and an amusement park. The authority really put in much concerted effort to beautify the park with amusement park infrastructures and facilities. The mini-sculptures of pandas, Snow White and the 7 dwarfs added a tone of wonderland in the park. Many locals came here to relax themselves. I could see the elderlies playing chess at tables in the park. The children running around in the amusement park and couples relaxing themselves at pavilion. Both Jingsha Park and Zhongshan Park are attractive parks in Shantou for locals to relax. I later explored Zhongshan Park and found more crowds there and it appeared more spacious with more facilities than this park.

After trying out the food at 金新肠粉 (Jin Xin Chang Fen), I took a stroll through 金砂公园 (Jinsha park) while looking for the nearest bus stop. There is nothing much in particular except for some eye-catching colorful lighted huge lanterns of which I have taken some photos for the review here. I presume that the night time view of this place is better than during day time.