Plan at a glance
A free, all-day mine-lake park; the museum keeps separate hours
Maoming Open-Pit Mine Ecological Park is a large lakeside park on Cailu Road in Maonan District, restored from an open-pit mine. The park is free and open all day, with no reservation required. Haoxin Lake covers about 6.8 square kilometres; allow 2-4 hours for a walk, cycling or an evening by the water, or half a day if you want to circle the lake or camp.
The adjoining but separate Maoming Open-Pit Mine Museum follows its own opening schedule, so do not plan museum entry around the park's all-day access. If you want both the industrial-history displays and the lake, set your visit around the museum's opening period first, then place the lakeside activities before or after it.
Decide between a lakeside walk, cycling and the small train first
The park is large, and walking in from the main gate to the core lake area takes substantial time. For a lake view, photographs or an easier visit with older relatives or children, enter from the east-side parking and access area, then use the small wooden-house viewpoint, the road through the lake area and a short lakeside path. To cover more of the shoreline, rent a bike or vehicle instead.
The round-lake small train usually runs from 09:00 to 17:50, costs about CNY 20-30 per person, leaves when there are 10 passengers, and takes about 40 minutes. Shared bikes or multi-person pedal bikes are about CNY 30-50 per hour, small electric vehicles about CNY 68 per hour, and boats from Xiangsi Pier about CNY 45 per person. Treat each as a separately charged activity and plan around same-day operation.
Ready to book?
Use the standard admission package for the core shuttle route; confirm the visit date and current opening hours before checkout.
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1.5-2 hours: enter from the east, see the lake and turn back in time
If time is short, enter from the museum parking area or an east-side entrance, go first to the small wooden-house viewpoint, then walk a section of the road through the lake area before returning by the same route or the nearest exit. This works for visitors who mainly want to see the mine lake and take a few photographs, or who do not want a long walk on exposed paths.
If you are also visiting the museum, treat it as a separate part of the day rather than cutting its visit short to complete the whole shoreline. The museum's second-floor viewing platform adds a lake view, but give the exhibition visit and the lakeside route their own time.
3-4 hours: cycle anti-clockwise and leave the west shore for sunset
First-time visitors who are happy to cycle can rent a bike or small electric vehicle from the east-side parking area, then travel anti-clockwise via Laomo Forest, the small wooden house and Huaide Pavilion before stopping on the west-shore lawn. If the weather suits, finish with the lake and sunset in the early evening. This reduces backtracking and makes it easier to manage your energy than repeatedly returning to the entrance area.
For families, combine the East Gate children's playground, the pigeon area, a museum visit and the round-lake small train, then take a short break on the west-side lawn. Do not put every activity into the same time slot: the train may involve a wait for departure, and vehicle rental and return also take time.
Build your day
Leave the car outside the park before choosing how to move around
Cars cannot enter the park. Park first at the museum car park, the Wind Chime Flower Sea car park, or an east-side parking area, then continue on foot. The museum car park has about 330 spaces, and the Wind Chime Flower Sea car park is another option. Spaces become tighter near 11:00 at weekends, so do not leave both parking and sunset for the same short window.
Once inside, choose between walking, cycling, the small train and a boat according to the walking ability of your group. Three-person battery vehicles can start from CNY 188 per hour; their speed and freedom to stop may not suit a full lake circuit. Shared bikes or small electric vehicles are usually a better fit if you want to stop at a few lakeside points.
Follow one direction around the shore instead of crossing back and forth
On foot or by bike, move in the order of Laomo Forest, the small wooden house, Huaide Pavilion and the west-shore lawn, rather than repeatedly crossing the lakeside for individual photo spots. The wooden house, Huaide Pavilion and west-shore reeds suit close lake views, an elevated outlook and evening light respectively, but do not stay until the return route is no longer clear just for photographs.
If you plan to take a boat or the small train, confirm the departure point, waiting arrangement and whether it stops en route before fitting nearby paths around it. The train may not depart immediately, and boats have their own pier and timetable. It is easier to confirm these details before setting out than to turn back halfway through the route.
Get there
Drive to the east side or the museum-side parking areas
For driving, navigate to the Maoming Open-Pit Mine Museum car park, the Wind Chime Flower Sea car park, or the East Lake parking area. The Wind Chime Flower Sea car park has a reference charge of CNY 3 for up to three hours. Each parking area sits at a different distance from the children's playground, museum and lakeside paths, so decide on your main route before parking to reduce unnecessary walking.
Do not begin with a long walk from the main park gate to the core lake area. The park has considerable depth, and in hot weather or with older relatives and children, it is more sensible to drive to an appropriate perimeter car park before entering.
Bus access reaches the East Gate; rail arrivals still need a transfer
City bus 10 reaches the “Open-Pit Mine Ecological Park” stop, for the East Gate. A taxi from Maoming Station takes about 30 minutes and costs about CNY 30-40. Non-drivers should decide before arrival whether they will rent a vehicle or use the small train, rather than relying on long-distance walking for the entire visit.
Also allow time to return to the bus stop, car park or ride-hailing point. If you stay on the west shore for sunset, start moving towards the exit or your vehicle before the light fades instead of leaving all return arrangements until after dark.
Know before you go
Light, sun and supplies make a real difference here
The lake's colour changes with light and weather, and the blue-green layers may be less pronounced on overcast days, so do not treat one particular colour as guaranteed. Much of the lakeside greenway has little shade. In summer, bring a hat, sun protection and drinking water; mosquitoes are common near the water, especially later in the day.
There are few convenience shops and formal supply points in the park, so bring water, simple food and a picnic mat if needed. Unstaffed service stops along the route may sell water, but should not be your only supply plan. Take litter away or dispose of it as required rather than leaving food packaging on the lakeside grass.
Do not enter the deep lake; shorten the route in poor weather
Haoxin Lake is deep and is not suitable for swimming or for getting close to unprotected edges for photographs. Lakeside paths, old rail tracks and grassy slopes can be slippery after rain. Watch your footing and keep clear of closed areas or the path of cyclists and park vehicles.
Wind, rain or oppressive heat make the exposed distances harder. If the weather is not suitable for a lake circuit, shorten the visit to a nearby shore section or visit the museum separately rather than forcing a full loop.