People's Park is located in the first ring road of Chengdu, surrounded by modern high-rise buildings. Judging by its name, it should be an old park with a sense of age. As expected, coming to the main entrance, such as the factory gate of the defense pavilion, the form of bulky rockery waterfalls, fast been smoothed texture of the concrete embossed ground into the eyes, and its name is extremely match, branded with the mark of the times, it is difficult to connect with the scene described in the guide. Especially for those engaged in landscape design, I obviously can not stimulate the interest in visiting. So, turn around and want to go, aside the wife to comfort me, since I came, just stroll, we can go through the park from another door. Follow the pace of his wife, came to the left side of the entrance to the garden, a piece of gray brick veneer wall jumped out of the green space, followed the path into the face of a round hole in the door, hanging "Chrysanthemum Garden" plaque, into the hole in the door, directly across from the colorful chrysanthemums hanging in the pattern of the wall, highlighting the atmosphere of the Chrysanthemum Garden, if not open the door to the If not for the opening of the door to the theme, this season, even if you visit the whole garden, probably will not know is the Chrysanthemum Garden. No chrysanthemums are open in the Chrysanthemum Garden, naturally, it can't be the main character of the park, and not many people visit the park, so it seems to be relatively quiet.
Quickly out of the Chrysanthemum Garden, along the path into a wooded area, the trees are tall and straight, with lush foliage, shaded, high branches straight into the clear blue sky, wanting to try to compete with the sky. The dense canopy is like a huge umbrella that opens up, covering the sky tightly, not even a ray of sunlight can not shine down, the forest is dark, gloomy and quiet, the air exudes a hint of coolness, as if stepping into the primitive forest. Following the path through the forest, as far as the eye can see is a dense arrangement of tree poles, there is no sub-tree growth, the ground is covered with a layer of thick as a green carpet of maitake. This is the "survival of the fittest" law, I think of the beginning of the forest should grow a lot of plants, big trees gradually grow up, the lower plants due to the big trees blocked the sunlight and slowly die, nature is cruel. As I walked along, I completely forgot that I was in a modern city of concrete and steel. Suddenly, the distance through some light, along the light vaguely see some of the water, follow the light quickly walked to an arch bridge, suddenly, open up, in front of a piece of verdant forest, meandering stream will be bisected by the woodland, stream barge from the practice of construction is relatively rough, can be seen on both sides of the concrete masonry by the upright barge, due to the age of the park, the growth of plants on both sides of the barge cover, artificial traces weakened. The artificial traces are weakened. Along the stream of haunting, and not far away from the lake. On the water, scattered with many colorful boats, breaking the park a green pure. Boats are the old style of the eighties and nineties, so that the original age of the park is more prominent in the atmosphere of the era, a bit of "rely on the old to sell the old" suspicion. To the near stream, crowded with small boats, not even a gap left, rocking, sometimes collision, people rowing hard, with the happy noise, like playing bumper boats.
These landscapes are too unusual, especially for landscape designers, I am not surprising, some disappointment, want to turn around and leave, his wife or in the side of the consolation, "or go forward, from the front can also go out." Some frustration I carelessly follow my wife's footsteps across the small bridge, out of professional sensitivity, I feel is to the center of the park on the island, not long, a traditional attic building appeared in front of us, the plaque says Zhong Shui Dumpling, a glance at this is a restaurant. The entrance to the loft was symmetrically set up with makeshift stalls that can often be seen on the roadside, a bit simple, and in contrast to the rather imposing loft, clearly incongruous. The stalls are decorated with many local snacks, mainly halogen products, looks very tempting, long queues in front of the stalls, making the originally crowded entrance to the attic is stuffed with water.
For this kind of attic, it is not surprising. The noise hard to pan my eyes to the left front, in front of this scene in front of me, let me feel shocked, can be used to "magnificent" to describe, although the strategy on some understanding, but at the moment the scene is unexpected. One side of the promenade built along the water and "bell dumplings" attic sandwiched between the large square, dense, crowded with four square tables and chairs, the square stuffed tightly, a glance can not see the edge. A square table with four bamboo chairs, square table is not big, than the average table is much lower than the original color of the bamboo chairs look very rustic, the air is full of rich countryside atmosphere, as if into the countryside, it is difficult to link with the modern city, city park. In an instant, my thoughts took me back to my childhood, when my family sat happily around a makeshift table and chairs in their own small courtyard to eat dinner. The memories have brought me closer to Chengdu, forgetting the geographical barrier, and I seem to have become a native of Chengdu.
The square was packed with people. The crowd in the narrow aisle, like a tidal wave slowly advancing, and the long line in front of the temporary stalls slowly intertwined, as if under the sunlight formed a wonderful note of leaping. The waiter's athletic figure quickly walked through the crowd, skillfully carrying the dishes, just like the elegant ballet dancers in the show. From time to time, from all around the sound of shouting, the original boiling scene to the climax. We wandered around the plaza, unable to find a seat, and had to go through the crowd to the Chung Shui Dumpling Penthouse restaurant, where the scene was the same inside and out, circling around the entire restaurant, without finding a spare seat. Until there are two kind customers, eat and give us a seat, which put down the anxious mood. Here are a variety of snacks, most of the names are heard for the first time, from the snack picture or name looks very appetizing, and the price is very friendly, and ordinary restaurant prices, which may be one of the main reasons for the popularity of so hot. Suddenly, especially envious of Chengdu citizens, their slow life is real, after all, people eat for days, food is not food, there is no slow life can be said.
The sunlight through the square sporadic a few trees sprinkled down, the ground painted gold, mottled tree shadow coincidentally followed up, followed the rhythm of time, in the square to show its wonderful dance. The sunlight, light and shadow of the moving interpretation, so that the atmosphere at this moment has become lazy, relaxed, people in the square are sitting lazily, enjoying the sunshine to bring the cozy. At this moment, I once again envy the citizens of Chengdu, I am curious, is it the grounded environment, or the relaxed mentality, or the delicious food, or the pro-consumption, that casts the slow life of Chengdu people? I don't know.
I was completely immersed in this simple, grounded image, and I realized that I was touched by such a scene, and that it was very real because it was a life, integrated into every blade of grass, every brick and tile. I can't help but ask myself, isn't this the goal of urban park design? This is not the purpose of building urban parks? Well, before that, must figure out what is the city park? Come to see the professional definition, urban park is an important part of the urban ecosystem, urban landscape, is to meet the leisure needs of urban residents, provide rest, visit, exercise, interaction, as well as organizing a variety of collective cultural activities.
People's Park moved me to the elements of interaction, people are emotional animals, interaction makes the city become warm. In the city park there is such a grounded place and pro-people consumption, open arms to accept all classes of citizens, where people are very comfortable, lazy sitting an afternoon, anyone has the ability to consume, do not need to be high-pressure places, just sunshine, wind, flowers, trees and shadows accompanied by, will be happy. This provides the conditions for interaction, the park has such a high degree of tolerance and acceptance, the public is willing to embrace the park with heart. From the phenomenon to see the essence, this is not only the Chengdu government adhere to the "people-oriented" principle, but also depends on the Chengdu government's attitude of governance for the people. Compared to our construction of urban parks over the years, the ecological environment is getting better and better, the landscape more and more lofty, functional facilities more and more perfect, on the contrary, the distance from people's hearts but more and more far, this is to ignore the element of interaction, the park, three or two people, or walking jogging, or riding, or square dancing, or sitting quietly chatting, or enjoying the flowers and the scenery, will not appear in Chengdu People's Park, such a build-up of popularity! There will not be such a popular scene in Chengdu People's Park. What would happen if such a scene were to occur? I think it will not last too long, city managers should be affected by the cityscape, the occupation of public **** facilities as a reason to focus on remediation. Park planning and design will certainly be elegant landscape cafe or tea room operation, take a lofty name, with high-end atmospheric green, operation and management costs are high, so it is difficult to appear pro-people consumption, invariably, blocked the bottom of the public, so, do not have to create such a place of interaction conditions, which is not the purpose of the construction of urban parks, and even more so is not the purpose of the city so that life is better.
I hope that the beautiful human environment, everywhere full of smoke and fire.
Lin Yuqin
Written on April 5, 2021 at 1:00 am