Nanhaizi Milu Park

Nanhaizi Milu Park

Nanhaizi Milu Park is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Nanhaizi Milu Park is located in Sanhaizi, Luquan Township, on the east side of the Nanyuan-Langfang Highway in Daxing District, Beijing, 14 kilometers from downtown Beijing. Covering an area of 60 hectares, it is China’s first nature reserve primarily adopting a free-range approach for milu deer.

It is situated on the east side of the Nanyuan-Langfang Highway in Daxing District, south of Beijing, 14 kilometers from the city center.

The milu deer, commonly known as the “four-not-like” animal, is native only to China but was discovered by French missionary Father Armand David in 1865 and subsequently transported to Europe. Wild milu deer in China had long been extinct, with the last group living in the free-range environment of the Qing Dynasty’s royal hunting ground in Nanhaizi, Beijing. In 1900, during the chaos of the invasion by the Eight-Nation Alliance, the hunting ground was destroyed, and milu deer disappeared from China. Around 1900, the British collected 18 milu deer from various European zoos and released them in Woburn Abbey Park. The milu population there has since grown to over 2,000. In 1985, the 11th Marquess of Tavistock from Woburn Abbey Park in the UK returned 20 milu deer to China. The Chinese government established a dedicated Milu Ecological Experimental Center in Beijing, allocating nearly 1,000 acres of land to build the Milu Park.

Nanhaizi Milu Park is China’s first nature reserve primarily adopting a free-range approach for milu deer. Nanhaizi features lush reeds and muddy marshes, creating an ideal habitat for the milu deer to live and breed. Within just eight years, the milu deer population in Nanhaizi Milu Park grew from 20 to over 200, making it the world’s second-largest milu park after Woburn Abbey Park. Nanhaizi has gradually regained its unique natural charm.

Overview

Nanhaizi Milu Park is located in Sanhaizi, Luquan Township, on the east side of the Nanyuan-Langfang Highway in Daxing District, Beijing, 14 kilometers from downtown Beijing. Covering an area of 60 hectares, it is China’s first nature reserve primarily adopting a free-range approach for milu deer.

The milu deer is a typical wetland animal, commonly known as the “four-not-like” creature—resembling but not identical to a deer, camel, ox, or horse. It is a rare and unique deer species native to China, historically referred to as “mi” and found only in eastern China. It is now endangered. The milu deer is over two meters in body length and over one meter in shoulder height, with light brown fur that is darker on the back and lighter on the belly. Due to its peculiar appearance and gentle temperament, it became an ornamental animal in “deer parks” at an early stage.

As early as the Qing Dynasty, to ensure the survival of this rare deer species, a small lake in Nanhaizi was designated as a free-range zone for milu deer, accompanied by a comprehensive and meticulous set of protective measures. However, in 1865, it was discovered by French missionary Father Armand David and subsequently transported to Europe. In 1900, during the invasion of Beijing by the Eight-Nation Alliance, the hunting ground was ravaged and destroyed in the chaos, leading to the extinction of the last group of milu deer in China. By around 1900, the Duke of Bedford in the UK had gathered 18 milu deer from various European zoos and released them in Woburn Abbey Estate. The milu population there has since grown to 600. In 1985, the 11th Marquess of Tavistock from Woburn Abbey Park in the UK returned 22 milu deer to China, fulfilling the century-old wish of bringing the “lost” deer home. In 1987, Woburn Abbey Park donated another 18 milu deer to China, enabling the milu deer in Nanhaizi to form a sustainable herd. The Chinese government established a dedicated Milu Ecological Experimental Center in Beijing, allocating nearly 1,000 acres of land to build the Milu Park.

The Nanhaizi Milu Park built in 1985 is located in the core area of the Qing Dynasty’s royal hunting ground. Nanhaizi features lush reeds and muddy marshes, creating an ideal habitat for the milu deer to live and breed. Within just eight years, the milu deer population in Nanhaizi Milu Park grew from 20 to over 200, making it the world’s second-largest milu park after Woburn Abbey Park. Nanhaizi has gradually regained its unique natural charm. The Milu Park has also introduced other deer species such as hog deer, sika deer, white-lipped deer, red deer, sambar deer, and roe deer, gradually turning the park into a research center and museum for Chinese deer species.

The Milu Park mainly receives visits from primary and secondary school students. It houses small science exhibitions and audiovisual classrooms for visitors, serving as a new base for biodiversity and environmental protection education.

Transportation to the attraction: Take the Taihe special line bus from Qianmen and get off at Sanhaizi Station, then walk 1,000 meters east.

Admission fee: Free

Address: Luyuan Road, Daxing District, Beijing

Type: Nature Reserve

Phone: 010-69280675

Opening Hours:

(Tuesday–Sunday) 9:00–16:00, closed on Mondays (except public holidays)

Further Reading:

· China’s National Second-Class Museum