Santai Mountain Forest Park

Sant

Santai Mountain Forest Park is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Santai Mountain Forest Park (also known as Zhangshan Forest Park) is located in the northern suburbs of Suqian City. It was established in May 1997 by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Agriculture and Forestry. On June 8 of the same year, Vice Chairman Zhang Zhen inscribed the park’s name.

This park is a large-scale scenic area that combines natural beauty with cultural heritage. Located 7 kilometers from the city center and covering a planned area of approximately 11 square kilometers, it is traversed by the Su (qian)–Xin (yi) Highway. The area features rolling hills and valleys, with the highest point reaching an elevation of 73.4 meters (the highest in the urban area). Suitable for sightseeing, leisure vacations, and rehabilitation, it serves as the “green lung” of the central city. The landscape here is characterized by undulating peaks, crisscrossing ravines, crystal-clear lakes, and ancient forests, forming a unique scenic belt known as the "Xishuangbanna of Jiangsu." Just 4 kilometers to the west lies the vast and misty Luoma Lake, where mountain and water views create a particularly enchanting scene. The park has 6,000 acres of forest, over 70 tree species, widespread natural lawns, and more than 100 types of wildlife. From the heights, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the lake, mountains, cityscape, and rural scenery. Two of the famous “Eight Scenic Spots of Suqian”—“Sunset over Three Peaks” and “Grapes Intoxicated by Moonlight”—are located within the park.

The park is rich in cultural attractions, including cultural relics from the Neolithic Age and the Western Han Dynasty; ancient battlefields from the Tang and Song dynasties and the modern “Su Bei Campaign”; as well as beautiful myths and legends that add inspiration to the entire scenic area. Designed by the Jiangsu Provincial Forestry Survey and Design Institute with an emphasis on the wild charm of the forest, the park features over 40 scenic spots and tourist sites such as Yingjia Villa, Lavender Industrial Park, Eight Immortals Bathing Beach, and Youth Education Center. Summarizing the park’s overall features, there are three highlights: the southern part of Zhangshan Forest Park consists of gentle grassy slopes covered in lush, flower-dotted meadows that resemble the grasslands of northern China. The middle section has three prominent hills with undulating terrain and three small lakes interconnected like streams between the hills, creating a scene reminiscent of the Jiangnan region. The continuous rolling hills are covered with naturally grown woodlands nestled among peculiar cliffs and gullies, evoking the majestic beauty of Mount Tai or Huangshan. The northern part of the park is a gently sloping area with crisscrossing ravines, where slopes, riverbanks, bamboo forests, orchards, farmhouses, vegetable plots, and farmland are arranged in a picturesque, dreamlike setting like a Peach Blossom Spring. One of the “Eight Scenic Spots of Suqian,” “Sunset over Three Peaks,” is also within the park. The “Three Peaks” refer to Santai Mountain, which from afar look like a string of pearls. When the setting sun shines upon them, the forests and valleys are bathed in golden light, creating an incredibly beautiful scene. Mr. Dou Yanke wrote a poem titled “Sunset over Three Peaks” describing this view: “Looking north from Malingshan, three platforms stand; after rain, clouds disperse in all directions. The slanting sun is infinitely beautiful, sending half the mountain’s fresh green my way.”

The ancient and verdant trees of Zhangshan Forest Park, combined with its unique landscapes of mountains, waters, gullies, and ravines, exude a primitive and wild atmosphere. In some areas, the dense foliage creates a thick green canopy, while in others, towering trees rise vigorously like waves on a sea of green. Pine and cypress trees cover the ridges and slopes, their age unknown. Over the years, their gnarled trunks have taken on striking shapes, resembling dragons coiling through the forest, a breathtaking sight. Within the 6,000 acres of expansive forest, there are also stretches of mulberry, poplar, elm, willow, metasequoia, bamboo, pear, apple, hawthorn, peach, and grape trees. The scenery changes with the seasons, offering fragrant blooms in spring and abundant fruit in autumn. Visitors often feel as though they are returning to nature’s primal state.

South of the new reservoir and north of Santai Mountain lies the site of the Song Camp. Historical records indicate that in the fourth year of the Xuanhe era of Emperor Huizong of Song (1122 AD), Han Shizhong led his troops to battle against the Jin commander Wang Bolong in the Xuzhou–Suqian region. In the third year of the Jianyan era of Emperor Gaozong of Song (1129 AD), after battling the Jin forces under Commander Zonghan, Han Shizhong retreated to Suqian with the Jin army in pursuit. In the sixth year of the Shaoxing era (1136 AD), Han Shizhong attacked Suqian, and Commander Huyantong decisively defeated the Jin forces, capturing their general Bojin Yaha. In the second year of the Kaixi era of Emperor Ningzong of Song (1206 AD), Commander Liu Wenqian led troops to attack the Jin forces stationed in Suqian but was forced to retreat after an unsuccessful campaign. The old camp, built against the mountain, spanned five li in circumference with steep walls on all sides and three towering peaks that resembled a string of pearls when viewed from afar. These locations were frequently held by Song forces during the aforementioned battles, hence the name Song Camp, which later became commonly known as Old Camp. Not far west of the Old Camp lies an old rampart believed to have been a site where the Song army dried grain and rice, hence called Rice Drying City. Running through the center of the Old Camp is a north-south road known as Laoyingkou.

At the southern foot of Lingzhe Mountain lies the Hidden Army Cave. Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, when Goguryeo chieftain Gao Suwen invaded with his troops and Tang generals suffered repeated defeats, the invaders penetrated deep into the territory. Tang General Xue Rengui led his soldiers to hide in the cave and ambush the enemy. When the invaders arrived, Xue Rengui suddenly launched an attack, annihilating most of the enemy forces. Nearby, there are also a General Pointing Platform and a Cold Rice Platform. The legend says the General Pointing Platform was where Xue Rengui addressed his troops before battle; the Pot Frame Mountain is said to be where Tang soldiers cooked their meals; the Griddle Mountain is where locals made pancakes for the soldiers; and the Cold Rice Platform was where the soldiers ate. There were once 72 wells providing drinking water for the Tang army (six have been discovered, one of which is relatively intact). At the northern boundary of the park lies a site called Qingdun. According to the 1963 “Huaiyin Region Archaeological Survey,” Qingdun has a Han Dynasty cultural layer over one meter thick, beneath which lies a Western Zhou cultural layer also about one meter thick, covering an area of about 5,000 square meters. At the northeastern boundary of the park lies the site of a Western Han Dynasty ancient city. To the north of the ancient city is Qingliang Temple, said to have been the campsite of Goguryeo invader Gao Suwen during the Tang Dynasty. In 1996, an ancient coffin was unearthed west of the ancient city, containing items such as a helmet, a heart-guard mirror, an iron sword, and a bronze teapot, confirming that this was a site of ancient military conflict.

The most famous attraction in the northern part of the scenic area is the Site of the Su Bei Campaign’s Santai Mountain Blocking Battle. In December 1946, under the command of Chen Yi and Su Yu, the East China Field Army launched the Su Bei Campaign, completely annihilating more than 21,000 troops, including three and a half brigades of the Nationalist Reorganized 69th Division and part of the 1st Division, marking the first time in the early stages of the Liberation War that an entire regular Nationalist division was destroyed. The blocking battle at Santai Mountain was a crucial part of the Su Bei Campaign. With just a company of soldiers, leveraging the advantageous terrain of Santai Mountain, they repelled five fierce attacks by an entire reorganized Nationalist division, ensuring the success of the Su Bei Campaign. During the blocking battle, nearly 1,000 enemies were killed, making it a famous example of winning against greater numbers. This heroic history has been recorded in the military annals of the People’s Liberation Army. The site of the Santai Mountain Blocking Battle has become a renowned memorial site for revolutionary tradition education and tourism.

The park is also home to many myths and legends, such as those of the Eight Immortals Cave, traces of Zhang Guolao chasing his donkey, the connection between Guan Yu and Santai Mountain, and the treasures of Baima Creek. These stories are not only vivid and beautiful but also have tangible relics or scenes associated with them. Blending fact and fiction, these tales reflect the rich spiritual world of laboring people throughout the ages and their aspirations for a better life.

Scenic Spot Location

Address: Santai Mountain Road, Suyu District, Suqian City

Type: Urban Park / Forest

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 3–4 hours

Phone: 0527-8397888

Official Website: http://www.sqsantaishan.com/index.aspx

Opening Hours:

6:00-22:00

Adult Ticket Price for Suqian Santai Mountain Forest Park: ¥60

Information Source: Hu Bin New Area Network, Suqian City