Shimen National Forest Park

Shimen National Forest Park, a national tourism resort, boasts the forest coverage of 98.9%. [Photo/gz.gov.cn]

As the most popular location for wedding photography and the largest drivable forest park in Guangdong province, Shimen National Forest Park boasts a perennial picturesque landscape, featuring bamboo groves, blankets of blooming flowers, towering mountains, strangely-shaped rocks, murmuring streams, roaring waterfalls and serene lakes. 

It is a national tourism resort and the first international forest bathing spot. Imposing mountains rise up into layer upon layer of clouds, while magnificent valleys present manifold features, making Shimen Forest Park a superb ecological habitat for a variety of precious plant and animal species.

It boasts forest coverage of 98.9 percent, as well as 16,000 mu of the only existing original secondary forest in South China. There are over one thousand kilometers of greenery, a beautiful sight akin to a Chinese landscape painting. In one part of the painting there are endless grand mountains shrouded by white clouds, while in other parts there are beautiful canyons, the colors of which are in perfect harmony with each other.

The reservoirs in the park occupy the total land area of 883 mu. The largest is Taoyuan Reservoir. The mirror-like reservoirs appear as five crystal-like gem stones inlaid in the valleys and hills.

There are five spectacular scenic zones in the park, including the Rural Scenery Zone, the Shimen Scenic Zone, the Shizao Scenic Zone, the Canyon Adventure Zone and the Tiantangding Scenic Zone. There are altogether over 50 different scenic spots: the grandly Shimen, Shimen with Fragrant Show, the Three Celestial Beings Meeting on Tiantangding, the Grand Canyon, the Nanlong Deep and Secluded Valley, the Floating Clouds pf Shizao, the Sparrow Flower Zone, the Red Lotus Zone, the Baizhang Flying Waterfall, the Sleeping Great Man Statue, the Water Entertainment Zone and the Ancient Turret, which are are all must-sees.

What to see in Shimen National Forest Park:

January to March: red lotus

February to March (during the Spring Festival): rapeseed flowers

March to April: Mucuna birdwoodiana

September to October: garden cosmos

November to January: red autumnal leaves

December to January: peach blossoms

May to December: fruit season (Shimen Forest Park is home to orchards of several thousand mu. The best months for tasting different kinds of fruit are as follows: March to April –plum; May to June -- Sanhua plum; July to August – Lychee; August to September -- Longan; September to October – Tomato and Chinese chestnut; October to November – orange; December to February – tangerine.

Address: Dalingshan Forest, Wenquan Town ( Township )

Website: www.shimenpark.cn