Plan at a glance
An independent park in Kecun below the mountain
Jiuhua Mountain Dayuan Cultural Park is in Kecun New District at the foot of Jiuhua Mountain. It works well as a separate visit before going uphill or before the return journey. The main sights are the 99-meter Ksitigarbha statue, Foguang Pool, and the Jingtu Lotus installation; the distance from the entrance to the foot of the statue is about 1.5 km.
Admission to Dayuan Cultural Park is free, but you need to reserve a CNY 0 ticket through the official WeChat account or by scanning a QR code on site. The park usually opens around 08:00–17:00 and stops admitting visitors around 16:30; “Embracing the Buddha’s Feet,” inside the statue, ends at about 16:50. Confirm the reservation method, opening hours, and activity arrangements for your travel date.
How much time to allow and how to move around the park
The main route by sightseeing bus takes about 2–3 hours, and a round trip by sightseeing bus costs about CNY 30; a transfer may be required along the way. A short visit to the foot of the statue takes about 1–1.5 hours. Walking through the park and back covers about 3 km, so choose whether to take the bus according to the time available and your group’s stamina.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
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The 99-meter Ksitigarbha statue
The Ksitigarbha statue is the park’s main attraction. The statue, mountains, and water in front form an open visual axis. Visitors can enter the statue and take the stairs on the right to reach its feet; whether this is open and which route to use follows the on-site arrangement.
Foguang Pool and the Jingtu Lotus
Foguang Pool is a circular pool about 99 meters in diameter, and on a clear day you may photograph the statue’s reflection. The Jingtu Lotus is a white-marble lotus installation that opens and closes to music at scheduled times; check on site for the exact times and whether it is operating that day.
What kind of visitor is it for?
Dayuan Cultural Park suits first-time visitors to Jiuhua Mountain who want an introduction to Ksitigarbha culture, as well as visitors who do not want continuous climbing and large numbers of steps. The water, statue, and architectural scale also make it suitable for photography. If photography is your main purpose, pay attention to the closing time of activities such as “Embracing the Buddha’s Feet.”
Build your day
Full route: from Foguang Pool to the statue
After entering, take the sightseeing bus into the deeper part of the park. Start around Foguang Pool for the water and the statue’s reflection, continue to the Jingtu Lotus, and finish at the 99-meter Ksitigarbha statue. Inside the statue, join “Embracing the Buddha’s Feet” or walk around according to the opening arrangement, then take the sightseeing bus back to the entrance.
The sightseeing bus may require a transfer along the way, so pay attention to the transfer stop. If you want to photograph the reflection at Foguang Pool, look at the weather and water conditions first, then decide how long to stay in the first section.
Short route: go directly to the foot of the statue
With only 1–1.5 hours, take the sightseeing bus directly to the foot of the statue, complete the visit and “Embracing the Buddha’s Feet,” and return the same way. This skips some of the earlier sights, including Foguang Pool and the Jingtu Lotus, and suits visitors who need to connect with an uphill bus or return transport at Jiuhua Mountain.
Connecting with the uphill Jiuhua Mountain route
Dayuan Cultural Park is close to the Jiuhua Mountain Visitor Service Center. After the visit, return to the center and transfer to a scenic-area bus for Jiuhua Street. If you visit Dayuan Cultural Park and go uphill on the same day, pay particular attention to the final admission time and the end time of activities such as “Embracing the Buddha’s Feet,” so they do not affect your later uphill transport.
Get there
Public transport and walking
It takes about 10–15 minutes to walk from the Jiuhua Mountain Visitor Service Center to Dayuan Cultural Park. The entrance is close to the Visitor Service Center, but the route from the entrance to the foot of the statue is still about 1.5 km inside the park. A sightseeing-bus round trip costs about CNY 30 and may involve a transfer.
Driving and parking
Drivers can navigate to “Dayuan Cultural Park Parking Lot No. 3 (大愿文化园 3 号停车场),” from which the entrance is a short walk away. The reference parking fee is about CNY 10 for up to six hours; the parking location and fee follow the on-site arrangement for the day.
Dayuan Cultural Park and the temple area higher on Jiuhua Mountain have different admission and transport arrangements. Drivers should first decide whether they will go uphill that day, then coordinate parking, the reservation, and the scenic-area bus.
Know before you go
Free admission does not cover every activity
Admission to Dayuan Cultural Park is free with a reservation, but the sightseeing bus, boat rides, Hongyuan Hall, and other activities may cost extra. Choose ticket types, package contents, and activity prices according to the day’s signs; incense is optional.
The sightseeing-bus round trip costs about CNY 30, while walking both ways covers about 3 km. If time is tight or someone in your group should avoid a long walk, use the sightseeing bus. If you plan to walk the full route, include the park roads and the return journey in your itinerary.
Admission and activity cut-off times
The park usually clears visitors around 17:00, stops admitting visitors around 16:30, and ends “Embracing the Buddha’s Feet” at about 16:50. If you arrive in the afternoon, first judge whether there is still time to enter the statue, then adjust the time spent at Foguang Pool and the Jingtu Lotus.
Music fountains and the Jingtu Lotus are affected by weather and operating arrangements and may not run every time. If the music fountain, Jingtu Lotus, or another activity is suspended because of weather, spend the time at fixed sights such as the statue and Foguang Pool.
Photography, etiquette, and food
The relationship between the water, distant mountains, and buildings offers several photography angles; follow the on-site rules for moving through the park while taking photos. Jiuhua Mountain temples usually provide eco-friendly incense. Keep quiet and dress modestly in religious spaces, and enter and leave according to the signs.
There are restaurants near the Visitor Service Center, where you can arrange huangjing dishes or farmhouse food before or after the visit. If you also plan to go uphill that day, complete the reservation and admission first, then choose a place to eat according to the scenic-area bus schedule.