Waterwheel Garden

Introducing Waterwheel Garden
Lanzhou Waterwheel Expo Garden was built in 2005, to reproduce the picturesque scenes of many waterwheels along the Yellow River shores 50 years ago. Located by the Yellow River, the waterwheel theme park is composed of three parts, the Waterwheel Garden, the Waterwheel Square and the Cultural Square. The Waterwheel Garden, built in 1994, covers an area of 1.45 hectares (3.58 acres) and is comprised of two waterwheels, a cofferdam, the recreation area and a house of water mill.

Waterwheel Garden Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Shui Che Yuan 水车园
• Best Time to Visit: April to October
• Recommended Visiting Hours: About 1 to 2 hours
• Things to Do: Photography, Culture, Waterwheels
• Opening Hours: 08:00-22:00
• Entrance Fee: Free
• Address: No.524 East Binhe Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, Gansu Province

What to expect at Waterwheel Garden

As the oldest water-lifting device for irrigation along the Yellow River, the waterwheels can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, now having 400 years of history. Lanzhou Waterwheel Garden also has several other names, such as Heavenly Wheel, Dumping Wheel, Irrigating Wheel and Tiger Wheel. In 1523, a Lanzhou native Duan Xu saw many waterwheels used for drawing water up into the fields when he worked as an official in Yunnan Province. Sensing that the timber-keel structure was applicable in his hometown, he made a drawing of it and brought it back to Lanzhou. Returning home, he began to created his waterwheel by using the water in the Yellow River for irrigation, and eventually succeeded in 1556.

Lanzhou Waterwheel Garden, as the theme park of waterwheels, has the largest variety and number in the world. Thanks to the skillful and unique craftsmanship the waterwheels are thus built, forceful and masculine. They fully deserve the title of the best representative of Chinese waterwheels

In the garden, tourists can experience crossing the river on a sheepskin raft, which is the most primeval ferrying tool in the northwest region of the Yellow River. A visit to the Waterwheel Garden will provide an insight into the irrigation tools of ancient times.

How to get to Waterwheel Garden
• By Bus: take bus No. 11 or 123 and get off at Wuquanshan Gongyuan Station; take bus No. 12, 15, 17, 18, 33, 36, 114, 117, 124, 136, 137, 139, 146 or 149 and get off at Wuquan Guangchang Station.
• Rent a car/bus from GGC to enjoy a hassle free private transfer from hotels in Lanzhou to Waterwheel Garden.

Additional travel advice on Waterwheel Garden
• Visitors can experience a sheepskin raft down the Yellow River in the park.
• Please wear body lotion, lip balm and hand cream as it is always dry in Lanzhou.