Lanxi Youth Park was initially agricultural land and a burial site situated on the northern bank of the Qiujiang River [zh]. In 1957, the Shanghai Putuo District Committee of the Communist Youth League galvanized youth to establish the park known as the Common Green Orchard. In 1958, the Common Green Orchard was assigned to the oversight of the Putuo District Greening Office in Shanghai. Subsequently, rather than serving as an orchard, the area was utilized for the cultivation of saplings and was rebranded as the Common Green Nursery of the Putuo District about 1965.[2] In 1980, 1666.5 square meters of land to the north of the park were designated for the Common Green Nursery of the Putuo District, situated in the northern area of the park. In 1980, 1666.5 square meters of land in the northern section of the park were designated for the Shanghai Putuo District Central Hospital [zh]. In 1981, the Shanghai Putuo District People's Government proposed the construction of the Cao Yang New Villiage Ring Hamlet Green Belt, incorporating the area within its plans. In 1982, the authorities resolved to establish a park at the location, with the Shanghai Municipal Landscape Architecture Administration overseeing the comprehensive planning and landscaping design, while the Changshu Yang Yuan Flower and Plant Company managed the construction. The park was inaugurated on May 1, 1984, deriving its name from Lanxi Road and its predecessor, Gongqing Orchard. In 1986, over 1,000 square meters of green space on the southern bank of the Cao Yang Xin Cun ring bank were designated for the park. Authorities in the southern section constructed a fence, a water parterre, a stone arch bridge, and a garden path, while also modifying the horticultural arrangement.[3]
In 2017, the Greening and Urban Landscape Bureau of Shanghai's Putuo District commenced the renovation of the park. The park refurbishment was completed in June 2018. The park dismantled the ancient walls and gates, transforming it into a completely open space with five entrances and exits. Lanxi Youth Park has also become the inaugural 24-hour open park in Shanghai's Putuo District.[4]
