Haixin Pavilion in Kunming Green Lake

In 1692, Yun-Gui Governor Fan Chengxu and Yunnan Governor Wang Jiwen raised a wooden sanctuary in the center of Kunming Green Lake. They named it Biyi Pavilion, though locals soon called it Haixin, the Sea-Heart Pavilion. This square structure, supported by sturdy vermilion wooden pillars, marked the moment a wild wetland began its transformation into a landscaped public park.

The pavilion has long been a stage for human ambition and quiet contemplation. In the early Jiaqing period (around 1796), the Yunnan governor Jiang Yousuan mobilized local gentry to reinforce its island foundations against the encroaching waters. More than a century later, in 1912, the newly completed Shilongba Hydroelectric Power Station—the first of its kind in China—powered several 500-watt incandescent bulbs hung from the pavilion's double-tiered eaves. This public demonstration of electric light drew massive crowds who stared in awe at the brilliant, humming glass globes.

By 1934, the pavilion housed the Qingyun Tea House. During the turbulent years of the Southwest Associated University, the scent of roasting tea leaves mingled with the voices of scholars. Writers like Shen Congwen and Wang Zengqi, as well as scholars such as Zheng Tianting, sat here, seeking refuge from war while debating literature over steaming cups. Visitors today can still touch the cold stone stele embedded in the wall, bearing the characters for "Haixin Pavilion" handwritten by Yuan Jiagu, a renowned scholar who earned the title of Economic Special Scholar in the late Qing Dynasty.

The architecture itself speaks of classical balance. Its flying corners rise like a bird with wings spread, an image celebrated in a couplet by Huang Kuiguang displayed inside. Glazed green tiles cover the roof, catching the high-altitude Yunnan sun and casting colored reflections onto the surrounding water. In 2022, the pavilion underwent a comprehensive restoration, with its wooden frame carefully dismantled, reinforced, and reassembled to restore its original historical appearance. Today, from November to March, the pavilion becomes a sanctuary of a different kind. Thousands of black-headed gulls, having migrated thousands of miles from Siberia, fill the air with their sharp cries and white wings, circling the vermilion pillars and connecting this historic island to the wider world.