A Floating Forest: Fish Tail Park in Nanchang City
Award of Excellence
General Design
Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
Turenscape
Client: Nanchang Muinicipap Government
Sublime! A visually stunning wetland project! The art of design and the resilience of natural systems are both engaged and displayed powerfully by this project.Dreamy as it is ambitious, this sprawling urban park should serve as a template for other cities seeking to resuscitate blighted waterfront landscapes marred by industry while also offering novel opportunities for recreation. The designer's courage is on full display in the new paradigm for urban wetlands.
- 2025 Awards Jury
Project Credits
Yunnan construction and Investment Zhonghang Construction Co., Ltd, Construction party
Yu Hongqian、Fang Yuan、Tong Hui、Yu Hongqian、Fang Yuan、Tong Hui、Jia Jianmin、Wang Dezhou、Wang Haixu、Wen Xuanying、Chen Lingxue、Wang Rui、Bang Minghui、Chen Yunying、Zhang Chao、Liu Jiahao、Wang Xiaoming、Zhang Fan、Jiang Jingri、Yu Fumin、Zhang Wei、Chen Rao、Lu Ang、Li Bo、Huang Songtao, Design team
Project Statement
In Nanchang, within the Yangtze River floodplain, we revitalized a heavily degraded 126-acre landscape into a floating forest that manages stormwater, restores habitats, and provides diverse recreational spaces—all within a limited budget and a short timeline. This innovative urban nature model strengthens the district’s identity and spurs surrounding development. Fish Tail Park offers a scalable solution for flood-prone regions, seamlessly integrating flood resilience, ecological restoration, and public engagement while redefining urban space for both people and natural forces.
Project Narrative
1. Site Challenges and Objectives
Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, faces chronic monsoon flooding, urban runoff pollution, and habitat degradation due to rapid development. The 126-acre site, a former fish farm and coal ash dumping ground, required an innovative approach to transform it into a resilient urban park that integrates flood management, water purification, and biodiversity restoration while serving as a recreational hub and a catalyst for surrounding development.
2. Design Strategy: A Forest on Water
2.1 Transform an Urban Dumping Ground into an Island-Jeweled Lake
By recycling coal ash with pond soil, we created over 80 islets that enhance land-water interactions, promote biodiversity, and naturally filter pollutants. A 1-million-cubic-meter-capacity lake buffers stormwater surges while supporting aquatic habitats.
2.2 A Flood-Adapted Forest: The Heart of the Park
Inspired by Poyang Lake’s marshlands, we planted water-resilient trees like Taxodium distichum and Metasequoia glyptostroboides, supplemented with wetland plants to stabilize shorelines. Lotus plants provide additional ecological benefits, fostering a self-sustaining environment.
2.3 Stormwater Filtration and Recreational Waterfront at the Periphery
The central forest, submerged during monsoons, creates an immersive marsh experience, while the park’s periphery accommodates 20-year flood events. Public amenities include natural playgrounds, beaches, fountains, and terraced wetlands that filter urban runoff.
2.4 Framing “Messy Nature”: A Weaving Boardwalk for Immersive Experience
A network of pedestrian paths and platforms offers deep engagement with nature. The boardwalk, designed to submerge during floods, fosters a dynamic relationship between visitors and the changing waterscape. Floating or elevated structures ensure resilience and easy maintenance post-flooding.
2.5 Sculpting Space: Modern Structures in a Natural Landscape
Bridges, pavilions, and viewing towers, crafted from perforated aluminum, contrast with the wild landscape while framing key vistas and creating moments of seeing and to be seen. The park’s entrance integrates a café with an overpass, enhancing accessibility and experience.
3. Achievement
Built on a modest $4/sq. ft. budget, Fish Tail Park has transformed a polluted wasteland into a thriving urban oasis. It regulates stormwater, supports wildlife, and has become one of Nanchang’s most-visited parks, boosting the New District’s identity and spurring development. Now a landmark stop on the city’s subway system, the park exemplifies scalable urban ecological resilience.
Products
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Structures
- Fair faced concrete precast slab：Jianhua building materials (Jiangxi) Co., Ltd
- Steel products：Jiangsu qiangshun steel plate forming component Co., Ltd
- Aluminum plate decoration：Art Bridge Construction Engineering (Suzhou) Co., Ltd
Plant List
- Waterelm
- Chinese tallow tree
- Maple poplar
- ginkgo
- Camphor
- soapberry
- pond cypress
- Phyllostachys
- hairawn muhly
- Pink Reineckea Herb
- Indian strawberry
- Chinese pennisetum
- Orchid notoginseng
- Miscanthus
- Chinese silvergrass
- achillea
- Rudbeckia hirta
- Coreopsis
- sneezeweed
- Cosmos sulphureus
- White clover
- The Hugan flax
- Sage
- Verbena bonariensis
- Shasta Daisy
- balloon flower
- Dandelion
- wire grass
- Ryegrass
- reed
- cane shoots
- Scirpus tabernaemontani
- Alligator Flag
- Purple loosestrife
- yellow flag
- cattail
- Rushes
- Canna glauca
- pickerelweed
- Phyllostachys pubescens
- Lotus
- Windmill grass
- Water lilies
- duckweed float
- Watercress
- Bitter grass
- Hydrochari
- waterweed