Huachuan National Forest Park

Huachuan National Forest Park

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

With a total area of 7,850.9 hectares, Heilongjiang’s Huachuan National Forest Park consists of the Wanjingshan Scenic Area and the Walihutun Scenic Area. The park lies within the low mountain and hilly area of the Wandashan Mountain Range, with an average elevation of 340 meters. It features a continental monsoon climate, characterized by distinct seasons—dry and windy in spring, hot and rainy in summer, cool and foggy in autumn, and cold and long in winter. The park is rich in flora and fauna, hosting 585 species of higher plants from 289 genera and 99 families, including four nationally protected second-class species: Manchurian ash, Amur cork tree, purple magnolia, and wild soybean. This abundant plant life provides an ideal habitat for wildlife. The park is home to 281 species of vertebrates, including two nationally protected first-class species—the golden eagle and sika deer—and 28 nationally protected second-class species such as red deer, mandarin duck, northern goshawk, hazel grouse, and black kite. “Lush forests stretch endlessly, reed marshes teem with hidden birds. Islands dot the water together, while an ancient city embraces the scene”—these features define the park’s unique landscape.

Wanjingshan Scenic Area: Covering an area of 4,362.9 hectares, its geographic coordinates are 130°30′35″E to 130°43′32.38″E and 46°31′37″N to 46°39′28.23″N. It includes parts of the management areas of the Hengtoushan and Laopinggang Forest Farms under the Huachuan County Forestry Bureau.

The scenic area preserves a well-maintained natural forest ecosystem, with rich plant diversity and varied forest types. The main tree species include Mongolian oak, white birch, mountain poplar, black birch, purple magnolia, manchurian linden, Manchurian ash, walnut, maples, and elm. The primary forest vegetation types consist of Mongolian oak forests, white birch forests, black birch forests, mountain poplar forests, and broadleaf mixed forests formed by various hardwood species.

The scenic area currently features 26 attractions, mainly including forest plant landscapes such as Flower Valley, Red Sea (mountain azalea sea), Forest Quest (white birch forest), Golden Summit Spring (alpine wetland), Green Wilderness (meadow among woods), Herb Garden, Three Primary Colors (blueberry, strawberry, and blackberry picking gardens), and Hazelnut Grove. Ancient and notable tree landscapes include Century-old Oak and Prosperity Grove (dominated by three major hardwoods). Geological landscape resources include Wanjingshan Mountain, Stone Cliff, Jingzheng Valley, and Riding Stone Forest. Hydrological landscape resources include Qiyi Lake and Yijing Lake. Historical sites include the Nanshan Site—an ancient dwelling place of the Yilou people from the Han and Wei periods. These sites, located beneath the mountains and along vast rivers, were used for stilt-house dwelling in summer and cave dwelling in winter. Within a 30-kilometer radius, there are over 1,000 pits of varying sizes. Research indicates that this is the most concentrated and numerous cluster of such relics in Heilongjiang Province.

Walihutun Scenic Area: Spanning an area of 3,488 hectares, its geographic coordinates are 130°35′11″E to 130°52′12″E and 46°59′45″N to 47°10′32″N. It borders Wanlihe Village to the east, is bounded by the confluence of the Lingdangmai River and the Songhua River to the west, reaches the Songhua River embankment to the south, and connects to the 23rd Brigade of Jiangchuan Farm to the north. The scenic area includes eight islands, one ancient city ruin, and a 27.5-kilometer stretch of the Songhua River. The islands are Xinghua Island (100 hectares), Liumaotong (360 hectares), Liumaoxiaotong (133 hectares), Puluotong (270 hectares), Huangyupao (107 hectares), Xiaohuanghe (117 hectares), Wild Duck Beach (68 hectares), and Bacha Islet (323 hectares), along with the Walihutun Ancient City (100 hectares).

The scenic area boasts crisscrossing streams, expansive water surfaces, and boundless green grass. The wide, long stretch of the Songhua River, with its rippling waves, meadows embraced by winding waters, endless reed marshes, and skies filled with waterfowl, forms a pristine wetland landscape that is a highlight of the Walihutun Scenic Area.

The Walihutun Ancient City was built by the water, reflecting the inseparable bond between ancient civilization and rivers. Research suggests that this site was once one of the Five Cities of the Goguryeo Kingdom during the Jin Dynasty, known as “Yuelidu Kingdom,” which later evolved into the Walihutun Ancient City. During the Jin Dynasty, it was guarded by Wanyan Zongbi, the fourth son of Wanyan Aguda, leading to the presence of a circular earthen platform with a circumference of 40 meters and a height of 2 meters, famously known as the “Jin Wushu Military Command Platform.”

With profound historical and cultural heritage, from the Yilou people’s cave dwellings in the Wanjingshan Scenic Area to the Walihutun Ancient City built by the Jurchens in the Walihutun Scenic Area, the park not only showcases the historical development of the Sushen people in Northeast China—from cave dwelling to building houses—but also paints a historical panorama transitioning from fishing and hunting to herding and then to farming. It represents the legend and continuation of ancient history in Northeast China, as well as the perfect unity of forest, wetland, and history in Heilongjiang’s Huachuan National Forest Park.

Source: Investment Promotion and Tourism Bureau