Hancongding National Forest Park

Hancongding National Forest Park

Hancongding National Forest Park is a national-level forest park.

Hancongding National Forest Park is situated around the Greater and Lesser Hancongding areas at the border of Liaoyuan City and Dongfeng County in Jilin Province, with a planned park area of 7,480 hectares. In the early Qing Dynasty, it was decreed as the “Imperial Deer Park” and the “Shengjing Hunting Ground.” Emperors of the Qing Dynasty hunted here, and it was hailed as the “Dragon Vein Land” where the empire’s fortunes began, boasting a rich historical and cultural heritage.

The park is located in the southern part of the Hadaling Range of the Changbai Mountain system. Its terrain consists of low mountains and hills, with crisscrossing, undulating, and overlapping mountain ranges that form a complex landscape of ridges, valleys, and plateaus. The upper and middle parts of the mountains are steep and rugged, while the lower parts are relatively gentle. The highest peak is Lesser Hancongdingzi, with an elevation of 620 meters, while other peaks range between 400–600 meters.

The park has a mid-temperate continental monsoon climate, characterized by windy and dry springs, hot and rainy summers, cool autumns with large diurnal temperature variations, and long, cold winters.

The Lesser Hancongdingzi peak in the park runs from southwest to northeast and serves as a watershed. The northern and eastern sides of the watershed belong to the Songhua River system, while the southern and western sides belong to the Liaohe River system. The northern and eastern areas are the source of the Yitong River, and the southern and western areas are the source of the Dongliao River (Lajin River). Most rivers in the park are seasonal, with peak water flow occurring from July to September. A small reservoir (Anxi Reservoir) is located on the southern side of the park, with a maximum capacity of 9.7 million cubic meters.

The park’s rich forest seasonal landscapes are one of its highlights. Throughout the year, it is a sea of flowers, a paradise of greenery, and a fairyland of beauty. In early spring, winter jasmine and forsythia bloom vibrantly, grasses sprout, birds sing in chorus; in midsummer, birch and Manchurian willow trees thrive, honeysuckle and Chinese bushclover shrubs flourish, creating a deep green shade entwined with wild vines and moss, where emerald leaves dance gracefully with tender twigs, rippling like waves. In late autumn, pine forests darken, maple leaves blaze red, the mountains are painted in layers of color, fruits hang heavily on branches, wild berries are abundant, fragrant herbs fill the air, and sweet scents waft everywhere. In deep winter, rugged peaks stand tall, winds howl through snowy landscapes, everything is blanketed in white frost, rime scenery stretches as far as the eye can see, presenting a breathtaking array of forms.

The wild Welsh onion, a specialty of Lesser Hancongding, was once a tribute to the imperial court. It is said to cure all ailments and has higher medicinal value than ginseng, making it a rare plant. In the Welsh onion propagation area of the park, visitors can explore and admire the plant along walking trails.

Camping areas, wildlife breeding zones, and animal grazing areas consist of original secondary forests and some planted woodlands. Based on the existing mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests and broad-leaved forests, a small number of tall Korean pine and fir trees have been added to create a mixed forest landscape. In drier areas and slope bases, clusters or patches of flowering shrubs such as rhododendron, lilac, rose, and honeysuckle have been planted to form vibrant and colorful floral displays.

Reception areas, religious and cultural zones, Shengjing Hunting Ground exhibition areas, and Northeast Manchu folk culture zones have, based on their unique geographical locations and rich cultural resources, enhanced the planting of seasonal trees and flowering shrubs while conserving and nurturing the original forest, to preserve their natural and rustic landscape character.

The park’s rich forest seasonal landscapes create an elegant and leisurely environment “with flowers in three seasons and evergreen foliage all year round,” filled with birdsong and floral fragrance. The high mountains, deep valleys, dense forests, and numerous streams in the forest park provide shelter and living conditions for many wild animals. Facilities such as feeding troughs, bird-attracting nest boxes, and drinking stations have been set up in these areas to mimic the natural behavior of wildlife and align with the landscape features, gradually encouraging wild animals to visit regularly. Animal grazing areas are enclosed with fenced enclosures to prevent escapes. The small animal zone introduces rabbits, squirrels, pheasants, and other small creatures, allowing visitors to get close. The large animal zone includes wild boars, roe deer, black goats, wolves, and other larger species, which visitors can observe in groups or from a distance under staff guidance.