Haixinsha Park & Haixin Bridge: Complete Guide

Resting in the main channel of the Pearl River right between Tianhe’s glittering financial towers and the southern riverbank of Haizhu, Haixinsha Island (海心沙) represents one of the most remarkable urban transformations in southern China. Once an industrial military repair yard and logistics warehouse covering roughly 170,000 square metres, this sandbar was chosen to stage the opening and closing ceremonies of the 16th Asian Games in November 2010. Instead of confining celebrations to a traditional enclosed stadium, planners turned the entire open river into a luminous aquatic theater.

Today, Haixinsha Asian Games Park (海心沙亚运公园) operates as a serene, tree-shaded public waterfront park open round the clock free of charge. In the summer of 2021, the park was crowned with an extraordinary pedestrian landmark: Haixin Bridge (海心桥). Spanning 198 metres across the river channel, it stands as the world’s largest curved-beam inclined-arch pedestrian footbridge, seamlessly linking Tianhe’s civic heart at Huacheng Square with the base of the Canton Tower.

Getting to Haixinsha and Haixin Bridge

Located at the geographic epicenter of Guangzhou’s New Central Axis, Haixinsha and Haixin Bridge enjoy seamless access via rapid transit lines, pedestrian underpasses, and river piers.

• Metro via the APM Line: The most direct way to arrive on the island is to take Guangzhou's automated People Mover (APM) line directly to Haixinsha Station (海心沙站). Exiting into the sunken garden concourse places you immediately inside the park grounds, just a two-minute stroll from the northern bridge landing.
• Metro via Canton Tower Station: If you prefer to cross Haixin Bridge northbound from the Haizhu district toward Tianhe, take Metro Line 3 or the APM Line to Canton Tower Station (广州塔站). Take Exit A or B, walk westward along the waterfront promenade for about 300 metres (roughly 5 minutes), and you will arrive at the southern security turnstiles of Haixin Bridge.
• Walking from Huacheng Square: From the civic institutions of Zhujiang New Town, such as the Guangzhou Opera House or Guangdong Museum, walk south through Huacheng Square. Cross the Linjiang Avenue pedestrian flyover bridge directly into the northern gates of Haixinsha.
• Pearl River Ferry: Haixinsha Pier (海心沙码头) operates regular scenic cruises and water bus connections. Sightseers boarding a Pearl River night cruise from Dashatou or Tianzi Pier can also observe the lit-up bridge and island from the water.

The 2010 Asian Games legacy on Haixinsha Island

Haixinsha’s identity is indelibly shaped by the spectacle of the 2010 Asian Games. Four monumental steel-lattice sail towers, each soaring 80 metres into the air, still stand along the island’s southern waterfront. During the opening gala “Sail to the World” (启航), these pylons held eight colossal LED video sails engineered to raise, lower, shift laterally, and withstand typhoon-strength gale forces. Thousands of acrobats suspended on aerial wire harnesses executed breath-taking choreography against these digital canvases, transforming the Pearl River into an open-air amphitheater.

At the core of the island sits the original main grandstand, styled like a futuristic white ocean vessel anchored at port. The former aquatic performance pool fronting the stands has been repaved into a sprawling outdoor civic plaza. Throughout the year, this venue hosts open-air symphony concerts, New Year countdowns, and cultural festivals.

Encircling the island is a lush green belt of royal palms, banyans, and flowering shrubs. Seasonal flower carpets are rotated twice a year on the southern lawns. During spring and autumn, expansive fields of pink cosmos, yellow sunflowers, and cleome blossoms create an open-air garden showcase directly beneath the skyline of Ersha Island and the river channels. The island remains entirely free of commercial vehicle traffic, making it a favorite retreat for evening joggers, families with strollers, and picnickers seeking breeze off the river.

Architecture and dual-track design of Haixin Bridge

Inaugurated on June 25, 2021, Haixin Bridge was designed by a team led by Academician He Jingtang from the Architectural Design and Research Institute of South China University of Technology. Measuring 496 metres in total deck length with a clear navigable main span of 198 metres, it is widely acclaimed for translating traditional Lingnan cultural motifs into cutting-edge civil engineering.

The bridge’s concept draws inspiration from the Chinese phrase “Qin Ming Juan Bai, Shui Xiu Hua Zhou” (琴鸣绢白·水袖花舟). Its pure white inclined steel arch tilts gracefully toward the sky like the curved frame of an ancient Lingnan guqin zither, while the curving bridge deck mirrors the flowing silk water-sleeves of Cantonese Opera. From above, the gentle curved alignment resembles a slender wooden flower boat skimming across the rippling waters.

One of the bridge’s most ingenious functional features is its asymmetric dual-track deck layout, designed to separate fast-moving pedestrian traffic from leisurely sightseers:

• The Eastern Shade Corridor: The east side of the bridge is dedicated to rapid and accessible transit. It features a gentle, barrier-free continuous slope topped by a sculpted curved canopy that shields walkers from southern China's intense tropical sun and sudden afternoon rains. This smooth, unobstructed lane is ideal for brisk walking, jogging, and pushing baby strollers or wheelchairs without jostling against photography crowds.
• The Western Viewing Terrace: The west side expands into an expansive multi-tiered observation plaza paved with natural wood decking. Stepped grandstands cascade down toward the water without any overhead canopies, maximizing unobstructed 180-degree panoramic views. Visitors frequently sit on the warm wooden bleachers to gaze across at the Canton Tower, watch cruise boats slice through the river, and admire the western sunsets lighting up the Guangzhou Twin Towers (CTF Finance Centre and Guangzhou IFC).

Reservation rules, entry tips, and visitor guidelines

While both Haixinsha Island and Haixin Bridge are completely free attractions, they operate under distinct access policies that travelers should understand before arriving.

• Haixinsha Asian Games Park access: The park itself is open 24/7 without tickets or advance reservations. Pedestrians can stroll in at any time from Huacheng Square via the northern footbridges or through the APM station, unless a ticketed private commercial concert is temporarily occupying the grandstand plaza.
• Haixin Bridge time-slot reservations: Crossing Haixin Bridge requires a free real-name reservation to manage visitor density and prevent dangerous overcrowding. The bridge operates daily from 07:00 to 23:00, with last entry permitted at 22:30. Visitors must book a specific one-hour entry window through the official WeChat Mini Program "Haixin Bridge" (海心桥) or via the "Canton Tower" (广州塔) service account. Foreign visitors without mainland phone numbers can select the passport or foreign ID option during registration.
• ID verification at turnstiles: Mainland Chinese residents must scan their physical National ID card at the turnstiles. International travelers and residents from Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan must show their passport, Home Return Permit, or mainland residence card to security staff at the designated manual check-in lanes.
• Strictly prohibited items: Haixin Bridge is an exclusive walking corridor. Bicycles, electric scooters, kick scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, and wheeled hoverboards are strictly banned and cannot be rolled or carried onto the bridge. Pets of all kinds are also not permitted.
• Weather closures: Due to riverfront wind exposure, the bridge temporarily closes whenever local authorities issue a Typhoon Blue Alert (or higher), a Rainstorm Yellow Alert (or higher), or during Pearl River flood surge drills.

Best viewing times and prime photography spots

The visual experience at Haixinsha and Haixin Bridge changes dramatically between daytime and nightfall. For the most rewarding visual feast, schedule your visit between 17:00 and 19:30.

Around 17:30 in autumn or winter (18:30 in summer), golden hour sunlight casts a warm amber glow over the Pearl River. The white tubular arch of Haixin Bridge catches delicate edge highlights, and the water mirrors the silhouettes of distant bridges. At 19:00 sharp, the architectural lighting illuminates in sync across the central business district. The Canton Tower lights up in pulsing rainbow gradients, the bridge arch glows in soft architectural white, and the grandstand on Haixinsha is bathed in crimson and cobalt neon.

Here are the top photography compositions:

• The Grandstand and Tower Composition: Stand at the southwestern lawn of Haixinsha Park. Frame the colorful seasonal cosmos and sunflowers in the foreground, the distinctive angular profile of the 2010 grandstand in the midground, and the Canton Tower soaring in the clear sky behind.
• The West Promenade River Postcard: Position your tripod along the northern embankment of Haixinsha looking southeast toward Haixin Bridge. Capture the full 198-metre arch stretching across the water, with sightseeing boats cruising beneath and the Zhujiang New Town towers towering to the north.
• The Stepped Bleachers Portrait: Sit on the western wooden grandstand steps of Haixin Bridge around twilight. Shooting from a low angle upward captures your subject framed against the illuminated Canton Tower spire with no crowd obstructions in your shot.
• The Arch Pier Perspective: Stand right beside the massive southern structural pier of Haixin Bridge where the inclined arch anchors into the river foundation. The geometric convergence of steel cables and curved white pipes creates dynamic architectural framing.

Central axis walking itineraries and nearby sights

Haixinsha and Haixin Bridge serve as the ultimate pedestrian hinge linking Tianhe’s cultural district to Haizhu’s leisure waterfront. Here is a curated half-day walking route:

1. 15:00 - Cultural discovery at Huacheng Square: Start at the northern plaza of Huacheng Square. Tour the free Cantonese history and maritime silk exhibitions at the Guangdong Museum, or marvel at Zaha Hadid's twin-pebble design at the Guangzhou Opera House.
2. 16:30 - Waterfront stroll across Haixinsha: Walk southward across the Linjiang Avenue bridge into Haixinsha Asian Games Park. Wander past the 80-metre sail masts, inspect the Asian Games memorial plaques, and enjoy the river breezes through the waterfront palm groves.
3. 17:45 - Sunset crossing on Haixin Bridge: Enter Haixin Bridge through the northern gate during your booked time slot. Take your time lingering on the western wooden bleachers to watch the sun dip below the river horizon and the skyline switch on its evening light shows.
4. 19:00 - Canton Tower and night cruises: Descend onto the southern riverbank directly in front of the Canton Tower. From here, you can ascend the tower observation deck, stroll south toward the blooming kapok architecture of the Guangzhou Museum of Art, board a Pearl River night cruise from Canton Tower Wharf, or hop onto the Haizhu Tram (THZ1) for a scenic 15-minute open-air tram ride eastward to the nightlife pubs of Party Pier.

Frequently asked questions

Is Haixin Bridge completely free to cross?

Yes, walking across Haixin Bridge is 100% free. However, visitors must book a free advance reservation slot via the official WeChat mini-program ("海心桥") to enter through the security turnstiles.

Do I need a Chinese national ID to book a ticket for Haixin Bridge?

No. While Chinese citizens scan their national ID cards, foreign passport holders, Hong Kong and Macau Home Return Permit holders, and Taiwan residents can select the foreign ID option in the mini-program and present their physical passport at the manned security turnstiles.

Can I ride a bicycle or bring an electric scooter across Haixin Bridge?

No. All bicycles, shared bikes, e-scooters, baby push-scooters, skateboards, and rollerblades are strictly prohibited on the bridge deck. It is reserved exclusively for pedestrian walkers and manual wheelchairs.

How long does it take to walk across Haixin Bridge?

The bridge itself is just under 500 metres long. A direct, brisk walk takes roughly 6 to 8 minutes. However, most visitors spend 25 to 45 minutes on the bridge taking photos, sitting on the wooden bleachers, and admiring the river skyline.

Can I visit Haixinsha Asian Games Park late at night?

Yes. The park's outdoor paths, river promenades, and landscaped gardens remain accessible 24 hours a day with open street lighting, although Haixin Bridge closes its turnstiles at 23:00 (last entry at 22:30).