Laoshan National Forest Park

Laoshan National Forest Park

Laoshan National Forest Park is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a national forest park.

Laoshan National Forest Park is located in the Laoshan Forest Farm in the central part of Jiangpu County on the northern bank of the Yangtze River in Nanjing. It borders the Chuhe River to the west, the Yangtze River to the southeast, and extends to the northeastern end near Pukou, facing the urban area across the river. Stretching 30 kilometers from northeast to southwest and 3 to 5 kilometers wide, it covers an area of 76.5 square kilometers. On August 2, 1991, the National Forestry Department approved the Nanjing Agriculture and Forestry Bureau’s proposal to establish Laoshan National Forest Park on the basis of the Laoshan Forest Farm.

The mountain range of Laoshan runs from southwest to northeast, with the western section being higher. There are three peaks over 400 meters in elevation, among which Longdong Mountain reaches 442 meters, making it the highest peak in the northern region of the Yangtze River. To the east of Longdong Mountain, the mountain massif splits into two ranges: the southern range includes peaks such as Xihua Mountain, Mantou Mountain, and Dama Mountain, while the northern range consists of Taiping Mountain and Diaoyutai Mountain. The mountains are composed of Sinian limestone, phyllite, Cambrian limestone, and Cretaceous sandstone. Laoshan is located in an area with particularly active water erosion, where well-developed limestone caves are common. Known caves include Tianjing Cave, Long Cave, Big and Small Guanyin Caves, Wenshu Cave, Immortal Cave, and White Eel Cave, among which Long Cave is the most famous. Located on the southwestern slope of Longdong Mountain, the cave entrance faces southwest, is about 10 meters high and 50 meters wide. At a depth of 40 meters, the cave splits into two branches; the left branch has been blocked by rubble, while the right branch extends about 80 meters from the entrance and features a smaller sub-branch that goes roughly 30 meters deep.

Most springs in the Laoshan area are hot springs. Seven such springs—including Wuliu Spring and Zhenzhu Spring—have been developed, yielding between 1,000 and 2,000 tons of water per day. These springs are rich in minerals and radioactive elements, offering certain medicinal benefits.

The Laoshan area enjoys a mild climate, with an average annual temperature of 15.3°C, a frost-free period of 228 days, and annual precipitation of 1,000 millimeters. Soil types, influenced by parent materials, include limestone soil, yellow-brown soil, and purple soil. The natural conditions are favorable for plant growth. In the 5th year of the Republic of China (1916), the First Forest Farm of the Jiangsu Provincial Educational Group Public Forest was established and began small-scale afforestation in Laoshan. By the 21st year of the Republic of China (1932), a total of 182,300 mu of forest had been planted and 92,776,000 seedlings cultivated. During the war against Japan, these afforestation efforts were destroyed. By 1949, forest coverage was only 0.5%, with timber stock less than 1,000 cubic meters. In 1950, the Educational Forest Farm was renamed Laoshan Forest Farm and tasked with the development, protection, and management of the Laoshan mountain range. Since then, large-scale afforestation has been carried out annually. By 1985, over 35 years, a cumulative 122,000 mu of forest had been planted, averaging more than 3,400 mu per year. Alongside extensive afforestation, over 120,000 mu of young forests were tended, and 32,000 mu of secondary forests under conservation management were cared for, bringing forest coverage to 79.4%. The area boasts abundant plant resources, including 148 families and 226 species of seed plants and ferns, among which there are 68 tree species and over 150 types of medicinal herbs. Major tree species include Masson pine, slash pine, loblolly pine, Japanese black pine, metasequoia, moso bamboo, phyllostachys, sophora, oak, elm, hackberry, and chinaberry. There are also rare and endangered plants under state protection, such as the weighing-scale tree, short-spiked bamboo, changium smyrnioides, pteroceltis tatarinowii, and wild soybean. Laoshan Forest Park currently has 94,000 mu of forest land, including 37,000 mu of coniferous forest, 35,000 mu of broadleaf forest, over 10,000 mu of fir and bamboo, more than 2,000 mu of orchards, and over 400 mu of tea plantations. The timber stock is approximately 230,000 cubic meters, making it one of the country’s bases for cultivating improved varieties of timber and an important timber production base in Jiangsu Province.

The dense forests of Laoshan serve as habitats for wildlife, with over 50 animal species, including more than 20 bird species. Rare animals listed by the state, such as the river deer, civet, and osprey, are often spotted in Laoshan. Additionally, the area is rich in cultural and historical sites, notably the ancient Buddhist temples of Doushuai Temple and Huiji Temple. A thousand-year-old ginkgo tree in Huiji Temple is a rarity in the Nanjing area.

While developing the area, Laoshan Forest Farm has also carried out scientific protection of this national forest park. In the early 1980s, pine caterpillars damaged 6,000 to 10,000 mu of forest each year, requiring pesticide use of 30 to 50 tons annually. This caused pollution to the soil, water bodies, and crops, harmed natural predators of pests, and led to forest decline. In 1983, the Laoshan Forestry Science Research Institute began experimenting with the artificial domestication of azure-winged magpies for biological control of pine caterpillars. The following year, with support from municipal and county environmental protection bureaus, the institute successfully used domesticated magpies for pest control. Pesticide use in trial areas decreased significantly and was eventually eliminated, effectively controlling the pine caterpillar infestation, eliminating long-term chemical pollution, and restoring a healthy forest ecosystem. In 1986, the forest farm initiated the establishment of five ecological pilot projects aimed at creating positive ecological cycles within forest zones. Under the premise of ensuring environmental quality and safe pine growth, projects such as planting gynostemma and oyster mushrooms and breeding earthworms under the forest canopy were carried out to promote multi-layered forest management. This created a new model for restoring ecological balance and advancing ecological forestry, maximizing forest benefits. By 1989, the total timber stock in the forest zone had increased to 250,000 cubic meters, with an annual growth rate of 6.72%.

Address: No. 90, Huangshaling Road, Pukou District, Nanjing

Type: National Park / Forest

Recommended Visit Duration: 3–6 hours

Phone: 025-65010323

Official Website: http://www.laoshangy.com/

Opening Hours:

8:00-17:00

Information Source: Jiangsu Provincial Forestry Bureau

Tangquan Subdistrict: The administrative area of Tangquan Subdistrict Office covers 109 square kilometers, with a population of 33,500 people, managing 9 neighborhood committees and 5 village committees.

Tangquan Town is located in the northwest of Pukou District. It borders Laoshan to the south and the Laoshan Forest Farm to the south, the Chuhe River to the north adjacent to Chuzhou City in Anhui Province, Tangquan Farm to the west, Xingdian Town to the southwest, and Yongning Town to the northeast. National Highway 312 and Jiangxingqiao Line pass through the town. The town covers a total area of 45 square kilometers, with a population of 21,000 people. It is known for its hot springs and nursery stock, boasting “a ten-mile hot spring belt, a hundred-acre Jiulong Lake, a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree, and tens of thousands of white…” More details about Tangquan Subdistrict ++