Prince Bay Park, Hangzhou
If you’ve never heard of Prince Bay Park, be prepared to put this on your Instagram bucket list, because this photogenic place will wow you. Also known as Taiziwan Park in Chinese, Prince Bay Park is located at the south range of West Lake and is part of West Lake Scenic Area. More than just a traditional landscaped garden, Prince Bay Park is lauded one of the most scenic places in Hangzhou—a statement not to be taken lightly. A word of advice: visit Prince Bay Park during the spring time. Why? Because the whole park will be decorated with blossoming flowers and sakura, making it the perfect opportunity for you to immerse in the wonderful earthly delights. Besides, there is nothing more visually appealing than the rows and rows of multi-coloured tulips and roses that your eyes can feast on. To put cherry on the cake, the rushing flow of river waters and far-off mountains create the ultimate picture of peacefulness and tranquillity. Indeed, Prince Bay Park does sounds like a slice of heaven on earth.
Sightseeing and photo-spamming are not all there is to be done at Prince Bay Park. People come here for camping and picnic as well. The idyllic quality of this place invites both the locals and tourists to frequent this place, and to plan an escapade from the hustle and bustle of city life. As the expansive park covers a total area of 197 acres, you will be pleased to know that it doesn’t get too crowded during the peak season.
Interestingly, the popularisation of this park has made it a site for wedding photoshoot—and with good reasons. This park features displays that signify ‘unswerving allegiance’ and the idea of couples ‘flying abreast of each other like birds in the sky’. Such small but significant touches are incentive enough for soon-to-be married couples to pick Prince Bay Park as their ideal shooting spot.
In fact, Prince Bay Park is also a prime wedding venue! (Rejoice, engaged couples!) With the romantic ambience and paradisiacal sights, it should come as no surprise that Prince Bay Park is where couples want to hold their monumental, once-in-a-lifetime wedding ceremony. In the past years, many couples have utilised this enchanting place to organise a western-style wedding ceremony. Visualise this: A wedding march begins at a bridge, and the bride holds a bouquet of fresh, vibrant flowers. The wedding march stops at the broad lawn of the garden where the church is located. In the church, the couple position themselves on a red heart-shaped carpet—a romantic touch. During the ceremony, the newly-wedded couple release the doves to the sky while holding coloured ribbons in their hands. They then take their places at a round table and perform the Chinese tradition called ‘union of wine cups’. In full-fledged grand majesty, a horse-drawn carriage then takes the bride and groom through the garden to drink and spend time with their relatives and friends. As the ceremony concludes, the couple sits on a decorated chair to be carried to a quaint-looking house in the park… Sounds like a dream wedding, doesn’t it?
Whether you’re a local hoping to wind down at the end of the week, a travel enthusiast looking for the hottest spots in town, or a bride-to-be (congratulations!) searching for the ideal wedding venue, Prince Bay Park will not disappoint. Besides, why say no to the wonderful sights nature has to offer?
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