The Qijiang River winds through the centre of Zhongshan, separating the older Shiqi district from the newer southern bank. The municipality has steadily upgraded the embankments on both sides into a continuous parkland walk — paved promenade, gardens, statuary, and several modern bridges that light up at night.
The most pleasant stretch runs between the Memorial Library and the Yantai Garden bridge, about two kilometres. Evenings draw the entire neighbourhood out for cycling, dancing, and the inevitable group calisthenics. The river itself is muddy and unremarkable; the activity around it is the attraction.