Shijingshan District has been advancing both the service support for this year's CIFTIS (China International Fair for Trade in Services) and the coordinated development of its "Two Parks and One River" area. A number of vibrant riverside spaces have been newly upgraded along the Yongding River, which offer ideal spots for sightseeing, leisurely walks, waterfront recreation and sunset viewing.
The three new upcoming zones of Lianshi Lake are constructed along the original shoreline of the Yongding River, connecting the core scenic stretches of the lake. Fully equipped with continuous waterfront trails, the zones meet diverse needs for casual strolling, family leisure and jogging. Ornamental plants grow in dense clusters along the route, while seasonal flowers adorn both sides of the trails, forming a layered waterfront floral landscape.
The sightseeing shuttle tour featuring the unique cultural and tourism highlights of the "Two Parks and One River" will become available before this year's CIFTIS. The 5.6-kilometer route includes eight scenic stops, connecting three core scenic areas: Lianshi Lake Park, Yongding River Leisure Forest Park and the Beijing Garden Expo Park. The launch will offer an innovative integrated water-and-land sightseeing mode for visitors.
A parking lot on the left bank of Lianshi Lake provides more than 230 parking spaces. Visitors heading for the right bank may use the north and south parking lots on the right bank of Shougang Bridge.
Bus Special Route 1 is also scheduled to open ahead of CIFTIS. Visitors may take Bus Special Route 1 to Shougangjiaohuachang (首钢焦化厂) Stop, or Bus Route 1 to Shougangyuan (首钢园) Stop (from September 5), then walk to the East Gate (beneath Shougang Bridge) to enter the park. A floating bridge, roughly 100 meters north of Subway Line S1, will also go into service, allowing visitors to walk between sites on both river banks.
The Greenway (Shijingshan Section) of the Western Hills-Yongding River Cultural Belt has extended southward from its finished 1.6‑kilometer demonstration segment. Around 5.2 kilometers of waterfront shoreline running from the New Shougang Bridge to the Yongding River Leisure Forest Park has been renovated to connect the Yongding River Leisure Forest Park, Lianshi Lake Park and Jingyuan Overflow Bridge.
Inside the Yongding River Leisure Forest Park, old railway resources were utilized for a sightseeing mini-train project with five themed stations. It has developed the "Yongsen Ferry" (永森渡口) viewing platform, a prime vantage point for enjoying views of Yuanbo Lake (inside the Beijing Garden Expo Garden), Yongding Tower and sunset scenery. The park's waterfront shoreline has also been upgraded to create two signature landscape nodes: "Forest Creek" (森林小溪) and "Fantasy Forest" (奇幻森林).
Within the core zone of the Greenway (Shijingshan Section) of the Western Hills-Yongding River Cultural Belt, north of Shougang Bridge, three east-west river-crossing corridors have been completed this year. Some segments form continuous passages suitable for marathon running.
New connecting roads, squares and bicycle parking facilities have been added to achieve seamless integration between Shougang Park and the Yongding River. Furthermore, Shijingshan has undertaken earth filling and terrain shaping tasks along the section from Subway Line S1 to Jingyuan Overflow Bridge, creating continuous scenic belts where visitors can stroll and get close to nature.
Autumn floral landscapes spanning approximately 13,600 square meters have been arranged in key areas in and around Shougang Park, including Beixin'an Road, Shijingshan Road and Lianshi Road. Nearly 50 flower varieties have been selected to create an autumn floral landscape system for sightseeing, photo-taking and relaxation.
Within the leisure zone of the train restaurant along the Yongding River, a photo-taking spot has been set up, centered on the motif of koi fish surging through waves and embodying the blessing of "abundance year after year".
In the waterfront floral landscape zone of Yong Ding He Ji (Yongding River Market) at the Winter Olympic Rings, three gardens covering approximately 1,210 square meters have been constructed under the theme "Tracing Water, Following Flowers" (行水寻踪・逐花而游). The sowing phase has been completed for a large‑scale land art project with a total area of some 60,000 square meters, where vast swathes of garden cosmos and sulphur cosmos will burst into full bloom.
(Source: The Beijing News)
Note: The "Two Parks and One River" refers to Shougang Park, the Beijing Garden Expo Park, and the Yongding River.