Tieshan Temple National Forest Park

Tieshan Temple National Forest Park

Tieshan Temple National Forest Park is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a cultural tourism site, and a national forest park.

Tieshan Temple National Forest Park (hereinafter referred to as the "Park") in Xuyi County, Jiangsu Province, is located in the hilly mountainous area of southwestern Xuyi County, approximately 35 km from the county seat. It borders Wangdian Township to the east, Mingguang, Anhui to the west, Laian, Anhui to the south, and Guiwu Town to the north. The total area, including the former Shuichonggang, Shanhong, and Gucheng Forest Farms, is 7,058 hectares, of which 4,856 hectares are land, about 1,500 hectares are water bodies, and 702 hectares are other types. Geographic coordinates: Longitude 118°25′–42′, Latitude 32°43′–42′.

Xuyi County is located in the central part of Jiangsu Province with convenient transportation. Major roads such as the Ninglian, Ningsuxu, and first-class highways run through the area. Airports such as Nanjing Lukou and Xuzhou Guanyin, as well as international ports such as Lianyungang, Nantong, and Nanjing Xinshengwei, are all within a one-hour drive. The Park is less than 150 km from Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Chuzhou, Bengbu, and Huai'an, and about 400 km from Shanghai, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Hefei.

The Park is situated in the low mountainous and hilly region of southwestern Xuyi, formed by the basalt lava plateau from the Tertiary volcanic eruption, which has been eroded by water flow into table-like square mountain hills. The terrain of the Park is higher in the west and lower in the east, with absolute elevations below 200 meters. The relatively low-lying areas form streams, locally called "gang" (e.g., Xiejia Gang, Jiaojia Gang, Cai Gang, Shuichong Gang). The valleys between several mountain ridges slope eastward or southeastward, and the runoff in these mountain streams converges into lakes such as Tianquan Lake and Tianhong Lake, along with several other reservoirs of varying sizes. The entire Park forms a relatively closed water catchment ecological system, making it suitable as a research base for forest ecology.

The Park is located in the transitional climate zone between the northern subtropics and the humid temperate zone, characterized by unstable semi-humid climate with distinct monsoon features, synchronized water and heat, and clearly defined seasons. The average annual temperature in Xuyi is 14.9°C, with an average of 27.4°C in July. The frost-free period lasts over 215 days annually. The average temperature in the Park area is 0.4°C higher than that in the eastern part of Xuyi County. The average annual precipitation in Xuyi is 983.5 mm, while the Park area, being the precipitation center of the county, receives 100–150 mm more than other regions. The annual sunshine duration in the Park area ranges between 2,200–2,250 hours, slightly higher than that in the eastern part of the county. Therefore, the Park area enjoys the best conditions in the county in terms of sunlight, heat, and rainfall, providing excellent growth conditions for plants. The Park also features diverse microclimates; the southern and northern valleys exhibit characteristics similar to the northern subtropical southern zone, while the northern slopes have warm temperate climate features, contributing to the rich biodiversity within the Park.

The Park's soil, derived from the single basalt parent material, is a type of dark-colored soil known as basic rock soil, with a dark brown or brown color, medium texture, and good tillage and harvest conditions, making it relatively fertile. Soil depth varies with the terrain. On slopes or steep inclines, the soil layer is thin (30 cm); on mid to lower mountain platforms, the soil layer is of medium thickness (30–60 cm); and at the foothills and plains, the soil layer is thicker (>60 cm). The thickness of the soil layer directly affects tree growth: thinner soil supports pine and cypress trees, while thicker soil (>50 cm) supports bamboo and metasequoia. Areas with medium thickness (30–50 cm) grow species such as Masson pine, black locust, oak, and chestnut, with economic fruit trees thriving in the better parts of the forest.

The Park lies in the transitional zone between the warm and humid temperate zone and the northern subtropics. Coupled with the influence of microclimates, it boasts a rich variety of plant species, covering 14 out of the 15 distribution types of China's seed plant vegetation. In particular, the diversity of woody plant species is significant, with 131 genera and 258 species, mainly featuring typical temperate deciduous broad-leaved trees, with fewer evergreen components. Due to its remote location, the Park preserves large areas of rare tree species, including a natural ecological forest dominated by Phellodendron amurense. Major tree species include Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata, Pteroceltis tatarinowii, Pistacia chinensis, and Sapium sebiferum. Nearly all of Jiangsu’s wild rare tree species are concentrated here, including wild Toxicodendron vernicifluum, Prunus dictyoneura, Jasminum nudiflorum (new records for Jiangsu), as well as widely found species like Ulmus laciniata (northern), Lindera obtusiloba (southern), Machilus leptophylla, Meliosma pinnata, and Photinia beauverdiana. The forest understory is home to valuable medicinal plants such as Pseudostellaria heterophylla, Polygonatum odoratum, and Eleutherococcus senticosus. This area is of great significance for studying plant geography and flora and can serve as a natural gene bank for plant species. It is also an ideal place for introducing, domesticating, and cultivating rare and high-quality plant species from both the north and south. The forest coverage rate in the Park area is 93.3%.

Wildlife includes nearly 40 species such as wolves, hog badgers, foxes, and weasels. The second-class protected animal in Jiangsu, the masked palm civet, is also frequently spotted. The Park is home to 177 species of resident and migratory birds, including paradise flycatchers, kingfishers, spotted doves, and azure-winged magpies. Nationally protected migratory birds such as mandarin ducks and red-crowned cranes occasionally appear. The area also hosts a wide variety of insects, with 11 orders, 88 families, and 258 species identified, including rare species such as the Papilio memnon and Libythea celtis. The complex biological communities, abundant and diverse insect species, contribute to a relatively stable ecological balance, with no major pest outbreaks observed.

Address: Hilly mountainous area in southwestern Xuyi County, Huai'an City

Type: Forest, mountain, lake, temple

Rating: AAAA

Recommended visiting time: 3–5 hours

Phone: 0517-88761588; 0517-88762808; 0517-88762809

Official website: http://www.tsstqh.com/Default.aspx

Opening hours:

8:00-17:30

Ticket information:

No entrance fee.

Information source: Jiangsu Provincial Forestry Bureau