Xi Weng Mountain Forest Park

Xi Weng Mountain Forest Park

Xi Weng Mountain Forest Park is situated in Nancha District, downstream of the Tangwang River in the southeastern part of the Lesser Khingan Mountains. It is embraced by surrounding mountains, where water and landscape blend harmoniously amidst lush forests and beautiful scenery. The park features undulating mountain ranges, majestic peaks, and spectacular views. Within its various geological heritage areas, there are towering peak forests, dense vegetation, beautiful mountains and peaks, clear mountain springs, rippling streams, vast seas of mist, and enchanting landscapes that are truly indescribable. Xi Weng Mountain is remarkable for its uniquely shaped peaks, special rocks, peculiar pines, beautiful woods, and mysterious caves. It is hailed as a marvelous sight of the Greater Khingan and shines like an emerald gem on the Lesser Khingan Mountains, earning the reputation of the "Yellow Mountains of the North." The park boasts precious forest and wildlife resources typical of the Lesser Khingan Mountains: the primeval forest is a mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest. Major tree species include Korean pine, larch, spruce, Scots pine, Manchurian ash, Amur cork tree, Manchurian walnut, birch, oak, maple, linden, poplar, and more than 10 other varieties. Protected animal species at the national second level include black bears, brown bears, lynxes, and sika deer, while those under provincial protection include raccoon dogs, wolves, wild boars, squirrels, and common hedgehogs, among over 10 other non-protected animals. Wild plants fall into five main categories: edible plants such as wild vegetables, aromatic plants like pine needles, medicinal plants such as schisandra and globeflower, beverage plants including Manchurian kiwi, mountain pear, and mountain grape, and forage plants such as littleleaf linden and wild vetch. There are also dense man-made forests distributed across various slopes at elevations of 150–300 meters, mainly consisting of larch, Korean pine, Scots pine, and spruce. In 1985, the Nancha Forestry Bureau was the first in China to enter the ranks of managing one million mu of man-made forests. The vast expanse of man-made forests offers fresh air rich in oxygen, negative ions, and various bactericidal organic substances emitted by trees, which are beneficial to the health of the nervous and respiratory systems.

In addition, the park's geological heritage primarily includes well-defined geological structures of Indosinian granite, typical tectonic peaks and stone forests, neotectonic movement collapse landforms, collapsed caves, Quaternary periglacial landforms, as well as mountain valley wetlands and typical biogenic weathering landform systems such as seepage springs formed by water. The granite in the park formed during the Triassic period of the Mesozoic era, mainly consisting of medium to coarse-grained granite. Its massive rock base, shaped by the Indosinian, Yanshan, and Himalayan movements, developed numerous faults and joints, becoming key factors that control the development patterns and morphologies of the granite peak forests. Through structural erosion, external dynamic erosion, and transportation, the main body of the granite peak forest landform was formed. Controlled by faults and major joints, typical micro-landforms such as granite peaks, stone forests, stone pillars, and cliffs tens of meters high were created. The main manifestation of neotectonic movement in the park is fault activity, which has formed collapsed caves and landforms on steep cliffs. The primary expression of Quaternary periglacial action is the formation of stone seas and associated periglacial landforms. At the tops of the peak forests, on collapsed rock walls, shattered boulders, and the surfaces of stone seas, where vegetation is relatively well-developed, typical biogenic weathering landforms have also formed. Xi Weng Mountain’s Indosinian granite geological and geomorphological heritage is comprehensive in type, typical in development, complex in origin, and unique in landscape. The heritage resources and ecological landscape resources are abundant, and the area still retains its original geological landforms, ecological communities, and species diversity, making it a precious natural heritage with significant value for conservation, science education, and research.

Xi Weng Mountain Forest Park is divided into two major scenic areas based on mountain terrain: the front scenic area and the rear scenic area. The front scenic area consists of four scenic clusters: "Xi Weng’s Delight," "Climbing the Cliff to Forget Worries," "Azaleas Singing of Love," and "The Divine Turtle Crossing the Ravine." The rear scenic area includes three clusters: "The Sacred Stone Palace," "The Echoing Valley," and the yet-to-be-opened "Southern Heavenly Pillar." The "Xi Weng’s Delight" cluster features attractions such as Xi Weng Peak, Wild Wolf Valley, Jade Brush Peak, Buddha’s Palm Rock, Worship Platform, Heavenly Stele, Heavenly Channel, and Broken Rock Pine. The "Climbing the Cliff to Forget Worries" cluster includes attractions like the Spirit Monkey, Forget-Worry Cliff, Tiger Leap Peak, and Coiled Dragon Rock. The "Azaleas Singing of Love" cluster comprises Lover’s Peak, Azalea Ridge, Azure Dragon’s Back, and Flying Rock. The "The Divine Turtle Crossing the Ravine" cluster features Divine Turtle Peak, Tiger Leap Gorge, General Rock, Camel Peak, Spirit Snake Cave, Sky-Supporting Pillar, Twin Stone Gates, Buddha Embracing Bear, and Bear King Hall. The "The Sacred Stone Palace" cluster includes Sorrow Cliff, Azure Dragon Hall, Immortal’s Abode, Divine Path, Divine Sculpture, Arhat Rock, Divine Entrance, Immortal Gathering Pavilion, and Beauty-Viewing Peak. The "The Echoing Valley" cluster features Echo Corridor, Red Cliff, Longevity Pavilion, Longevity Star Rock, and Pagoda Forest. The "Southern Heavenly Pillar" cluster includes Linked Caves, Corridor Gate, Ghost Peak, and Southern Heavenly Palace. From the summit of Lover’s Peak looking east, visitors can enjoy the "One Path Two Rivers" landscape: the straight-flowing Tangwang River from the north and the incoming Yongcui River from the west. The contrast between the larger and smaller bodies of water is strikingly harmonious and beautiful. The sea of mist at Xi Weng Mountain is also a major spectacle. Every autumn, due to the rising humidity from the Yongcui and Tangwang Rivers, a magnificent sea of fog forms. The clouds and mist shroud the peaks and cut through the ridges, blending with the rocks. Though not the Yellow Mountains, it rivals them, earning the title "Yellow Mountains of the North." The park enjoys a beautiful natural environment, lush forest vegetation, stable ecological communities, and well-preserved geological heritage and natural environments of various types, largely maintaining the original beauty of its picturesque mountains and unique landscapes. Therefore, Xi Weng Mountain Forest Park is the only massive natural museum in Yichun that integrates stones, trees, cliffs, walls, caves, rocks, flowers, grass, vines, fruits, medicine, and water. With its concentrated landscapes and rich tourism cultural significance, it has been designated by Yichun as a key mountain sightseeing and tourism development zone. Here, no peak is without wonder, no stone is without uniqueness, and no pine is without peculiarity. Some peaks resemble divine turtles, others look like loving couples, and some take the form of immortals. The stones resemble wolves, bears, or monkeys, while the pines stand upright, twist, or show elegant forms. With picturesque scenery all year round, it offers travelers a heavenly natural paradise. In spring, streams babble and azaleas bloom everywhere; in summer, the shaded woods are lush and boundless; in autumn, the mountains are ablaze with color, forests are dyed in layers, and misty purple hues create a dreamlike magic; in winter, everything is blanketed in ice and snow, glistening like jade and offering breathtaking beauty.