Surely you’ve wondered how Guangzhou became a city known for swimming? That history is tied to this place the Haijiao Red Mansion Swimming Pool. This isn’t just any pool. It’s a landmark with a story stretching back almost a century.
The Haijiao Red Mansion Swimming Pool also called Haijiao Red Building Swimming Pool or simply Red Mansion is a large swimming pool in Guangzhou. Construction began in January 1946. It was completed in July of the same year. Its address is 8 Red Mansion Road, Datansha, Liwan District. It is near the Pearl River. From the east side, one can see the beach of the Xijiao Swimming Pool.
Haijiao Red Mansion Swimming Pool holds the distinction of being Guangzhou’s earliest natural swimming pool. Why “Red Mansion”? The pool sits in the Datansha area. This area is located on the outskirts of Tianhe, Haijiao. The buildings were primarily red. Hence the name Haijiao Red Mansion Swimming Pool.
In the mid-1940s after the Japanese surrender, a group of wealthy residents from the Xiguan area wanted to address two problems. The Xijiao Swimming Pool was always overcrowded. The water quality was often poor due to sewage contamination. Liang Shiguang and others proposed building a new pool on Datansha Island. It was just across the river from Xijiao. Many people supported the idea. However, Datansha had a reputation for being unsafe. Local landowners initially opposed the plan. This made securing land difficult. After negotiations involving Lu Man, a former aide to Li Fulin, the land issue was resolved. Construction began in January 1946 and the pool opened in July.
The grand opening of the Haijiao Red Mansion Swimming Pool was on August 1, 1946. It attracted many swimmers. Back then there was no Pearl River Bridge. Swimmers had to take a boat to reach the pool. In the 1950s, the pool reached its peak. It saw 110000 visitors. A common saying arose: “If you don’t recognize the Red Mansion, you’re not well-connected”. For over thirty years it was a popular destination.
Chairman Mao Zedong swam here. In May 1956, Mao passed by Swan Lake during an inspection of Guangzhou. He swam across the river to Datansha. He then arrived at the Haijiao Red Mansion.
However the Haijiao Red Mansion Swimming Pool faced challenges starting in the 1980s. The Pearl River’s water quality declined. The facilities aged. In October 1988, the pool temporarily closed. Although there was cooperation with the Pearl River Container Factory at the end of that year, the factory failed to fulfill its responsibility to reopen the swimming pool. This led to China’s first sports-related lawsuit in 1995 which the Haijiao Red Mansion won. In December 1996, the land was reclaimed. With city government support, the swimming pool reopened on May 1, 1997.
The Red Mansion underwent renovations in 1998. Despite these improvements, inconvenient location prevented it from regaining its former glory. In October 2006, Guangdong Salt Company invested 80 million RMB to build China’s first artificial “Dead Sea” salt therapy馆. It opened in the summer of 2007. In 2010, prior to the Asian Games the pool became a Guangzhou Public Place Health Demonstration Unit.
Today the Haijiao Red Mansion Swimming Pool features a 25-meter deep-water pool that meets international standards. There is also a shallow pool. It is as large as a residential complex and a salt therapy馆 pool.
This historic pool has witnessed Guangzhou’s evolution. While perhaps not as popular as it once was, the Haijiao Red Mansion Swimming Pool remains a testament to the city’s love for swimming. It also stands as a reminder of a time when Guangzhou was a hub of recreation and leisure.