Recently, the number of national forest parks in Zhejiang Provincial has increased to 44 and nine of them are in Hangzhou. Among the 84 provincial forest parks, 13 are in Hangzhou. What kind of scenery do these forest parks feature? Let’s have a look …
Hangzhou Banshan National Forest Park
杭州半山国家森林公园
It is the first national forest park in Hangzhou central downtown. It stretches for over 10 kilometers from west to northeast and includes four areas, Banshan Park (半山公园), Longshan Park (龙山公园), Hushan Park (虎山公园) and Sanshan Interconnection (三山连通). The forest coverage rate in this area reaches 90.1 percent and its geological history can be traced back to the Silurian period which is more than 0.4 billion years ago. It is reputed to be an “urban forest”, the “city green lung” and a “living museum”.
Wuchao Mountain National Forest Park
午潮山国家森林公园
Wuchao Mountain National Forest Park is in Xihu District. It is the only provincial state-owned forest farm in Zhejiang. It enjoys a superior eco-environment with a forest coverage rate of 98.2%.
Wuchao Mountain has an age-long history and an abundance of cultural landscape resources like Ziwu Well (子午井), Parrot Rock (鹦鹉石), Turtle King Temple (龟王殿), Blessing Dragon Bridge (保龙桥). The then Longmen Eight Views are all within the park.
Hangzhou Xishan National Forest Park
杭州西山国家森林公园
Xishan National Forest Park is in the central area of Xihu District, about 10 kilometers from Hangzhou downtown. The forest coverage rate here is up to 93.4%. With a maximum negative oxygen ion concentration of 7,000 per cubic centimeter, it is a natural forest oxygen bar and Hangzhou’s green lung.
Inside the park, there is the longest mountain tourist trail in the country — Xishan Tourist Path, which is 120 kilometers long. The trail connects villages, temples, parks and historical sites and is full of fun. It is a perfect place to enjoy nature, go mountain hiking and relax.
Jingshan (Shangougou) National Forest Park
径山（山沟沟）国家森林公园
Hangzhou Jingshan (Shangougou) National Forest Park is located in Jingshan Town and Luniao Town in Yuhang District. The forest coverage rate is 89.86%. Inside the park, there are the Chinese yew group, a national rare plant and tufted deer, a national first degree protected animal. Jingshan Buddhist Tea Culture Scenic Area, Shuangxi Bamboo Sea Rafting Scenic Area and Jingshan Lake Tourist Resort make people linger. Special agricultural products like Jingshan Tea and Luniao honey pear are widely favored.
Qingshan Lake National Forest Park
青山湖国家森林公园
Qingshan Lake National Forest Park is in Lin’an District, including six scenic areas, Tomb of King Qian (钱王陵), Qingshan Lake (青山湖), Xijing Mountain (西径山), Linglong Mountain (玲珑山), Donghu Lake (东湖) and Xishu Villa (西墅). In the park, there is the only water forest spectacle that is accessed by boat in China, and the thousand-year-old “Hometown of King Qian, Wuyue Culture”. Here, natural landscape and cultural landscape complement each other.
Inside the park, there is a 42.195-kilometer-long Qingshan Lake Greenway, which connects the Big Lawn Park, Qinshan Blue Bay, Water Forest and other nodes. Along the greenway, mountains and the lake enhance each other, and there is a beautiful view every step you take.
Daqishan National Forest Park
大奇山国家森林公园
It’s a comprehensive forest park full of Jiangnan-style mountain and water charms. It is full of peaks, peculiar-shaped rocks, canyons and waterfalls and is known for its magnificence, uniqueness, elegance and vastness. There is an abundance of natural resources with over one thousand ligneous plants and shrubs.
Tonglu Yaolin National Forest Park
桐庐瑶琳国家森林公园
Yaolin National Forest Park features abundant vegetation types and the forest coverage rate exceeds 84.1%. The most special landscape inside the park is the natural caves that face up to the sky and are shaped like huge funnels. The landscape is vividly named Tian Dou Di Lou (literal meaning: sky funnel and ground leakage 天斗地漏). There are over 30 Tian Dou Di Lou inside the park, all of which are more than 100 meters in diameter and between 50 meters and 100 meters in depth, which are unique in East China.
Qiandao Lake National Forest Park
千岛湖国家森林公园
Qiandao Lake National Forest Park includes the Central Lake Area and the Southeast Lake Area with a forest coverage rate of 89.86%. The Central Lake Area is mainly characterized by natural and cultural landscapes and the main attractions include Meifeng Peak (梅峰岛), Longshan Island (龙山岛), Yueguang Island (月光岛) and Yule Island (渔乐岛). The water area is vast. Cultural landscape and natural landscape complement each other. A tour around it is like walking into a water maze. It is full of fun.
The Southeast Lake Area is centered on Mishan Island (蜜山岛). It features a large number of verdant islands, clear water and rugged rocks and hills and is well-known for its water, rocks and mountains. It has many and concentrated attractions, of which the four most famous ones are Huangshan Peak (黄山尖), Tianchi Island (天池岛), Guihua Island (桂花岛) and Mishan Island (蜜山岛).
Fuchun River National Forest Park
富春江国家森林公园
Fuchun River National Forest Park is in Meicheng Town of Jiande City. The park covers an area of 8363 hectares with a forest coverage rate of 89.6 % and is divided into six scenic areas. The evergreen deciduous broad-leaved forest, pine forest and cedar forest compose a colorful forest group landscape; canyons, forests and rivers create a beautiful landscape painting.