Sightseeing train ride draws visitors to park in E China's Hefei

Photo shows an aerial view of Tiaochong Lake Park in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Guo Hao)

An open-air sightseeing train through a blooming lotus pond has become a popular summer draw at Taochong Lake Park in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, with local authorities reporting a threefold increase in park visitors.

Lotus flowers are now in full bloom at the park, located in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, with vast stretches of green leaves covering the water surface. The seasonal landscape can be viewed up close aboard the slow-moving sightseeing train.

The track stretches about 1 kilometer through the lotus pond, with each ride lasting around 12 to 15 minutes.

Since opening in mid-June, the train has attracted growing crowds, with visitor numbers to the park up more than 300 percent month on month.

The project is part of the zone's broader "park plus" urban development approach, which aims to transform green spaces into multifunctional public leisure areas.

Visitors enjoy the view of a lotus pond in Tiaochong Lake Park, which is located in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Guo Hao)

Visitors enjoy the view of a lotus pond from a sightseeing train in Tiaochong Lake Park, located in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Guo Hao)

Visitors enjoy the view of a lotus pond from a sightseeing train in Taochong Lake Park, located in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Guo Hao)

An open-air sightseeing train runs through a lotus pond in Taochong Lake Park, located in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Guo Hao)

Visitors enjoy the view of blooming lotus flowers in Tiaochong Lake Park, located in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Guo Hao)

Photo shows an aerial view of Tiaochong Lake Park in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Guo Hao)

Photo shows an aerial view of Tiaochong Lake Park in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Guo Hao)

Visitors enjoy the view of blooming lotus flowers in Tiaochong Lake Park, located in Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Guo Hao)