Jilin Hongshi National Forest Park

Jilin Hongshi National Forest Park

Jilin Hongshi National Forest Park is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national forest park.

Jilin Hongshi National Forest Park is situated at the foot of the Changbai Mountains and along the Songhua River in Huadian City and Jingyu County, under the administration of the Provincial Hongshi Forestry Bureau. It spans 28,574.6 hectares, includes 2,269 hectares of water bodies, and boasts a 93.2% forest coverage rate. It is currently the largest in land area, most extensively forested, richest in wildlife, and most abundant in water resources among multifunctional national forest parks and national AAA-level tourist attractions in Jilin Province.

Hongshi National Forest Park captivates visitors with its unique natural landscapes, pristine ecology, forest culture, Shamanistic history, revolutionary battle sites, ancient customs, and profound cultural heritage. Its mystique, wonder, sacredness, and charm make it a place of longing. The park experiences distinct seasonal changes — spring brings mountain flowers, summer invites exploration of its two lakes, autumn dazzles with red foliage, and winter offers ice play and frost-covered scenery. It engages your senses of smell, touch, perception, sight, and touch, allowing you to experience the vastness of the forests, purity of the lakes, fragrance of mountain blooms, sanctity of birch trees, splendor of red leaves, deliciousness of green foods, rugged simplicity of forest dwellers, and truly feel the charm of "returning to nature and embracing the wilderness."

Hongshi National Forest Park is rich in wildlife and aquatic resources. It is home to over 230 species of wild animals, more than 60 types of wild fish and shrimp in the Songhua River, over 60 varieties of precious tree species, over 80 kinds of wild vegetables, around 60 types of fungi, and more than 1,200 species of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs.

The park currently preserves seven ancient relics, three ancient tombs, four ancient cellars, one ancient mountain fortress site, and eight ruins of deep mountain temples. Historically, it was home to legendary figures such as the Mountain God Elder Laobatou, trailblazer Ma Wenliang, log raft pioneer Xie Laowa, Northeastern gold mining king Han Bianwai, and anti-Japanese and anti-Russian leader Han Dengju.

The entire jurisdiction of the park was historically known as "Jilin Nanshan" during the Qing Dynasty and regarded as the "birthplace of the Manchu people," remaining off-limits for over 200 years. To this day, many local customs, mountain names, place names, and river names still retain the spoken language of the Manchu people. The loggers, gold miners, log rafters, hunters, fishermen, and ginseng diggers living in the park have developed diverse industry-specific customs and traditions, forming a multifaceted forest culture (or permafrost culture) that includes practices such as mountain foraging customs, mountain opening rituals, river worship ceremonies, gold panning traditions, and the Lumberjacks’ Festival. Forest culture elements such as “Mountain Foraging Customs,” “The Legend of the Great Golden Ox,” and “River Worship and Log Rafting Customs” have now been listed as part of the first batch of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Jilin City.

Hongshi National Forest Park was once a major battlefield for the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army and the site where the First Route Army of the army lived and fought. There are currently 26 hidden Anti-Japanese bases, 21 battle sites, and 3 conference ruins. Notable events such as the “Hongshilazi Conference,” “Xinanzhachaconference,” and “Toudaoliuhe Conference” were all held within the park. Renowned anti-Japanese generals such as Yang Jingyu, Wei Zhengmin, Kim Il-sung, and Cao Guo’an once lived and fought here. Their hidden bases were established within the park, making it the most intact and largest surviving base of the First Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army. It is now recognized as the “Jilin Provincial CPC History Research and Education Base,” “Jilin Provincial Ecological Civilization Education Base,” and “Jilin Municipal Patriotic Education Base.”

Hongshi National Forest Park enchants visitors with its unique natural landscapes, pristine ecology, forest culture, Shamanistic history, revolutionary battle sites, ancient customs, and profound cultural heritage. Its mystique, wonder, sacredness, and charm make it a place of longing. The park experiences distinct seasonal changes — spring brings mountain flowers, summer invites exploration of its two lakes, autumn dazzles with red foliage, and winter offers ice play and frost-covered scenery. It engages your senses of smell, touch, perception, sight, and touch, allowing you to experience the vastness of the forests, purity of the lakes, fragrance of mountain blooms, sanctity of birch trees, splendor of red leaves, deliciousness of green foods, rugged simplicity of forest dwellers, and truly feel the charm of "returning to nature and embracing the wilderness."

Hongshi National Forest Park is rich in wildlife and aquatic resources. It is home to over 230 species of wild animals, more than 60 types of wild fish and shrimp in the Songhua River, over 60 varieties of precious tree species, over 80 kinds of wild vegetables, around 60 types of fungi, and more than 1,200 species of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs.

The park currently preserves seven ancient relics, three ancient tombs, four ancient cellars, one ancient mountain fortress site, and eight ruins of deep mountain temples. Historically, it was home to legendary figures such as the Mountain God Elder Laobatou, trailblazer Ma Wenliang, log raft pioneer Xie Laowa, Northeastern gold mining king Han Bianwai, and anti-Japanese and anti-Russian leader Han Dengju.

The entire jurisdiction of the park was historically known as "Jilin Nanshan" during the Qing Dynasty and regarded as the "birthplace of the Manchu people," remaining off-limits for over 200 years. To this day, many local customs, mountain names, place names, and river names still retain the spoken language of the Manchu people. The loggers, gold miners, log rafters, hunters, fishermen, and ginseng diggers living in the park have developed diverse industry-specific customs and traditions, forming a multifaceted forest culture (or permafrost culture) that includes practices such as mountain foraging customs, mountain opening rituals, river worship ceremonies, gold panning traditions, and the Lumberjacks’ Festival. Forest culture elements such as “Mountain Foraging Customs,” “The Legend of the Great Golden Ox,” and “River Worship and Log Rafting Customs” have now been listed as part of the first batch of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Jilin City.

Hongshi National Forest Park was once a major battlefield for the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army and the site where the First Route Army of the army lived and fought. There are currently 26 hidden Anti-Japanese bases, 21 battle sites, and 3 conference ruins. Notable events such as the “Hongshilazi Conference,” “Xinanzhachaconference,” and “Toudaoliuhe Conference” were all held within the park. Renowned anti-Japanese generals such as Yang Jingyu, Wei Zhengmin, Kim Il-sung, and Cao Guo’an once lived and fought here. Their hidden bases were established within the park, making it the most intact and largest surviving base of the First Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army. It is now recognized as the “Jilin Provincial CPC History Research and Education Base,” “Jilin Provincial Ecological Civilization Education Base,” and “Jilin Municipal Patriotic Education Base.”

Hongshi National Forest Park boasts picturesque scenery, with 136 natural landscape clusters. It is home to Asia’s largest underground power station — the Baishan Hydropower Station, known as the “First Lake under the Changbai Mountains.” Other highlights include the Northeast’s narrowest lake — Hongshi Lake; the breadbasket of the northern frontier — Gaoxing Lake; the spectacular Warship Peak; the scenic Golden Turtle Island; the jade-tree-and-jade-flower-like Hongshi rime frost; and the miraculous Songjiang bonsai. It has been designated as a photography base for both the International Photography Club of Travel Pictorial and the Jilin Women’s Photography Association.

Hongshi National Forest Park boasts picturesque scenery, with 136 natural landscape clusters. It is home to Asia’s largest underground power station — the Baishan Hydropower Station, known as the “First Lake under the Changbai Mountains.” Other highlights include the Northeast’s narrowest lake — Hongshi Lake; the breadbasket of the northern frontier — Gaoxing Lake; the spectacular Warship Peak; the scenic Golden Turtle Island; the jade-tree-and-jade-flower-like Hongshi rime frost; and the miraculous Songjiang bonsai. It has been designated as a photography base for both the International Photography Club of Travel Pictorial and the Jilin Women’s Photography Association.