Fenghuang Paradise in Xiaoshan, Hangzhou: Another Great Family Destination with Over 30 Attractions
“Where do you want to go for New Year’s?” “An amusement park!”
Every child loves amusement parks, and my little one is no exception. This New Year’s, the amusement park topped our travel plans. When my little one heard we were going, she was over the moon for days.
On New Year’s Day, I took my two girls to the newly opened Fenghuang Paradise in Xiaoshan, Hangzhou. The attractions there were just what they love—over 30 rides and activities that kept them playing nonstop, not wanting to go home.
We drove straight to Fenghuang Paradise at No. 39 Huanshan West Road, Fenghuang Village, Xiaoshan, Hangzhou. It was the first day of its official opening. Fenghuang Paradise is a family amusement park invested in and built by Fenghuang Village in Yaqian Town. Who would have thought that such a large-scale family park would be a village investment? I couldn’t help but marvel at how wealthy Zhejiang really is.
The entrance to the park is delightfully designed as a green train carriage, with the ticket office right there. The admission ticket is currently 20 yuan, and the individual attractions inside range from 20 to 30 yuan each.
Upon entering, we were immediately drawn to the tall city wall near the entrance. My daughter clamored to climb up first. Taking a closer look, we saw it was called the Baixing Ancient City Stone Culture Park, with flags bearing various surnames fluttering in the wind. It gave the children a sense of stepping onto an ancient city wall.
Standing on the wall and looking out over the park, it was a paradise of all the trendiest attractions! The Pastoral Roller Coaster, Phoenix Train, Rainbow Slide, Go-Kart Racing, and over thirty other facilities cater to everything from parent-child fun and family relaxation to outdoor picnics and gatherings.
At the entrance, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, inflatable clowns, little bees... all greeted the children, who rushed to shake hands and take photos. These two were clearly the stars of the park, surrounded by a crowd of kids.
Walking around the park, we often bumped into all sorts of adorable cartoon characters. The kids struck poses, making cute and cool faces and exaggerated gestures, amidst bursts of laughter. This is truly the right way to enjoy an amusement park!
The sound of music and drums drew our attention to the Time Tunnel, where a joyful parade of cartoon characters had started. Stilt-walking clowns and balloon-twisting clowns interacted warmly with visitors. Soon, Miaoman’s hands were full of balloon goodies: heart balloons, balloon rings, balloon bracelets...
It was so lively, bursting with festive cheer. My little one was overjoyed, and we couldn’t help but dance along with the stilt-walkers.
A less-than-perfect 2020 is behind us. In 2021, let’s be happy!
We hopped on the Phoenix Train to tour the whole park—a perfect way to take in all the beauty along the way. With over thirty attractions, it was dazzling, and we could sit on the train and leisurely decide where to head first.
Not far from the entrance, there’s a train platform that’s not only a great spot for family photos but also a romantic setting for couples. The train ride around the park takes about ten minutes.
After the big train, Miaoman dashed to the Rail Toot-Toot Cars—small and cute, perfect for little ones. They sat in the cars, waving and cheering at me all the way. Seeing them so happy warmed my motherly heart.
Next, the Steel Jungle: On a lush green lawn stand 14 towering steel pillars connected by cables, with various props creating 12 thrilling and challenging obstacle courses. It’s ideal for team-building and older kids, but my little ones clearly preferred the nearby balance bridge and climbing barrels.
Every child dreams of riding a roller coaster. I was surprised that my usually timid two girls also begged to go on one. To be honest, I’m not that brave either, and I usually pass on roller coasters at parks. But I didn’t want to disappoint the kids, and my engineer husband couldn’t take both of them alone, so I had to grit my teeth and join.
“As soon as it starts, Miss Man will need to protect Mommy!”
Although the coaster didn’t look too tall or scary—suitable for younger kids—I wasn’t any braver. I clung to the handlebar, eyes tightly shut the entire ride. Afterwards, my younger daughter whispered to her older sister, “Mommy kept her eyes closed and screamed the whole time. I was the one protecting her...”
Well, a bit embarrassing, but it’s fun for adults to act a little dependent and vulnerable once in a while, swapping roles with the kids.
As soon as we stepped into the Arcade Bus, I knew we wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. It was filled with games kids love—claw machines, whack-a-mole, Crazy Racing... they wanted to try them all.
For a cozy family moment, the Cute Pet Village houses over a dozen animals that children can interact with and feed up close. The adorable, gentle alpacas and the forever small miniature pigs were so cute—it felt like entering a zoo.
At Bounce Fun, every visit to a children’s park makes them eager for the trampoline. Maybe bouncing sparks pure joy inside them. The trampoline here is much bigger than at typical parks. The two sisters bounced from end to end, going back and forth for several laps, refusing to leave. They had a blast, sweating from all the fun. This carefree childhood is something we adults long for but can never relive.
After riding a horse in Shanghai last time, they’d been begging to ride again, so the Park Riding Arena was just what they wanted. The white ponies are perfect for kids, with staff guiding them the whole way for utmost safety.
The Instagram-famous Rainbow Slide, seen from afar, looks like cascading waterfalls of color—absolutely stunning, making you can’t wait to try it. The park’s Rainbow Slide is designed with a gentler slope, so adults can slide down with kids. It’s perfect for younger children and timid grown-ups like me, haha.
The Spiral Dragon Pillar is right next to the Rainbow Slide. It twists and turns, and you can slide down from the top in just a few seconds. You need a helmet for this one—it feels like one of the most thrilling slides.
At Excavator Masters, my two little ones love playing in the sand, and this is a different kind of sand play. Using the machines made them feel like real construction workers—a great hands-on experience.
Go-Kart Racing: Almost every child dreams of driving a race car, and go-karting is the perfect way to fulfill that dream. Sometimes they like to play grown-up, driving coolly and feeling the thrill of speed and excitement. There are single karts and tandem ones for adults and kids.
Plus, you can try Fish Catcher, Spinning Seahorses, Crescent Swaying Cars, Bumper Cars, Competitive Single Cars, Water Walking Balls, and more.
That day, the kids went on the Rainbow Slide, Spiral Dragon Pillar, Excavator Masters, Pastoral Roller Coaster, Go-Karts, Swinging Chair, Spinning Seahorses, Toot-Toot Cars, Bounce Fun, Water Walking Balls, and more. They also rode ponies and fed alpacas, and were so happy they didn’t want to go home at all.
On the stage in the center of the park, there are fixed performances every morning and afternoon: face-changing, a battle between Monkey King and Bull Demon King, umbrella magic, acrobatics, and more. My little ones watched without blinking, and during the final interactive game, they almost rushed onto the stage.
Lunchtime soon arrived, and the restaurant in the green train carriage was full of artistic charm. Tired from playing, the two girls relaxed and rested on the cute Phoenix Station train! We ordered delicate set meals, both Chinese and Western options, averaging 30 yuan per person, and enjoyed a happy lunch break.
Our day trip to Fenghuang Paradise in Hangzhou was perfectly packed; one round of the park was just right. I’ve taken kids to many amusement parks, but most attractions are geared toward adults, and for preschoolers, many are off-limits or have long queues. I truly feel Fenghuang Paradise is ideal for family outings—tiring neither the kids nor the adults, and with a great overall experience.
[Phoenix Mountain Dongyue Temple]
Not far from the park, on the mountainside, imposing red buildings cascade up the slope—that’s the Dongyue Temple on Phoenix Mountain.
The park is in Fenghuang Village, named after a mountain that resembles a resting phoenix. This scenic mountain, Fenghuangshan, is also the birthplace of modern Chinese peasant movement and a great spot for red tourism in Zhejiang.
On a sunny afternoon, after playing at the park, we took the kids hiking. We don’t exercise much, so hiking was a great workout. On New Year’s Day, climbing to the top let us look far into the distance.
We went up along the slope of Fenghuang Road, which was well-paved and perfect for a brisk walk.
The magnificent building complex halfway up the mountain was a hidden travel gem I discovered. It feels like those treasure-filled temples hidden deep in the mountains you read about in novels.
Dongyue Temple was where Shen Dingyi, leader of the Yaqian peasant movement, gave speeches and where the peasant association held meetings. According to historical records, it’s the earliest temple in the Fenghuang area, with 888 years of history. Originally built by the Xiaoshao Canal, it was later moved to Phoenix Mountain and has remained a place of thriving worship.
Unlike most Chinese temples that face south, this one faces north. Here is the mountain gate of Dongyue Temple, with grand vermilion walls and a sign reading ‘Fenghuang Religious and Cultural Park.’
Stepping through this gate, I couldn’t help but gasp in awe. The temple resembled a heavenly palace, with rows of buildings stacked one after another, clinging tightly to the cliff, layer upon layer, with carved beams and painted rafters, majestic and splendid.
The setting sun cast golden rays over the land, draping the entire temple in a golden veil as thin as cicada wings, veiling the earth in mystery. Passing through one mountain gate after another, you see the Wenchang Pavilion and Dongyue Hall—the core area of the temple, like a new scroll unfolding. The winter Dongyue Temple was incredibly atmospheric.
Originally built in the Southern Song Dynasty, the main structures of Dongyue Temple were destroyed by a fire. The once-precarious temple has now been ‘reborn.’ The rebuilt Dongyue Temple is predominantly red in appearance, exuding a strong Zen vibe as you walk through. In winter, it’s especially quiet and peaceful, with an even deeper Zen ambiance.
As is well known, most Chinese temples face south, because according to traditional feng shui, the most auspicious orientations are: north-south, east-west, gen-kun, and xun-qian. Only a very few have unusual orientations.
Dongyue Temple not only represents Southern Song culture but also carries the heritage of the Grand Canal. Yet it has endured many twists of fate, being damaged and rebuilt multiple times. Standing on the platform in front of the Hall of Heavenly Kings and gazing out, the temple nestled among green trees, with its vermilion courtyard walls, dark gray roof ridges, and lush ancient trees, all bathed in the golden sunset, was a sight to behold. The carvings on the buildings, with their vivid colors, were dazzling.
There was no one else in the temple. In the silent air, a few birds singing sounded utterly serene. As the sun set, strolling through the temple and listening to the deep, distant bell, I felt an unique poetic mood.
Today, Dongyue Temple is resplendent, with halls arranged in neat rows, incense smoke curling around, and pagodas standing tall. The entire complex is harmonious, a true ‘ancient temple hidden deep in the mountains’ and a ‘Buddhist sanctuary.’
Nowadays, parents are busy with work, leaving little time to connect with their children, who are also occupied with all kinds of classes. Our family trip with Miaoman gave me more time to spend with the kids, to observe their reactions during activities, to talk with them, and to draw us closer.
