With roasting conditions sweeping over much of China at the moment, what better way to get some respite from the heat than to visit a wetland park? Despite being Guizhou’s capital city, Guiyang is far from just an urban metropolis. Within the city boundaries there are several wetlands parks, where people can enjoy the fresh air, floral fragrance and sounds of nature.

One such park is A’ha Lake National Wetland Park, which also offers visitors the opportunity to experience some ethnic folk culture typical of the region.

Spanning across the park are 473 hectares of wetland, in the form of rivers, bogs and constructed wetlands. The State Forestry Administration of the People’s Republic of China designated the park as the first national level of its kind in Guiyang in 2015.

To get into the summer spirit and enjoy the long nights, a culture night fair opened at the park’s Lang Stockade Village on July 20. The fair features folk music performances, poetry reading, ethnic songs and dances. Lang Stockade Village is honored as the Poets’ Lhasa and contains four double-layered wooden buildings, a 300-square-meter terrace, a 1,000-square-meter square and an ancient style stage, where songs of the Dong ethnic group and Guiyang ballads are put on.

The night fair will last for four months, during which time visitors can sample delicious dishes of the Bouyei ethnic group.

Poets from Guizhou, including Wang Qing, Zhang Kai and Wang Jiangzhi, and calligrapher Zhai Qisheng were present at the opening ceremony of the market fair.

Highlights of the A’ha Lake National Wetland Park:

1. Famous scenic spots include Cheery Avenue, Wind and Rain Bridge, Bird Chirp Valley and Flower Valley.

2. Well-constructed infrastructure such as children’s playground and health center.

3. People can have a close look at Guiyang’s major water resource – A’ha Reservoir.

Transportation: Bus 312 and 313.

A’ha Lake National Wetland Park is located in the green city of Guiyang. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]