Scenery of the Purple Willow Garden

Scenery of the Purple Willow Garden

This scenic area features famous attractions such as the Forest Bathing Ground, the Valley of Unique Pines, the Moonlit Heavenly Lake, the Purple Willow Garden, and the Natural Stone Mirror.

The Valley of Unique Pines is an excellent viewing spot. Standing on the Pine Viewing Platform, you can enjoy the magnificent forest landscape of Miaodao Mountain. The tall and ancient Huangshan pines are either scattered among the woods or stand atop steep cliffs, straight as flagpoles, twisted like dragons, with branches as sturdy as iron and crowns like canopies—each one showcasing the beauty of nature’s creation. Moreover, as the seasons change, the scenery varies throughout the year: “In spring, mountain flowers bloom in vibrant colors; in summer, dense foliage shades the hills in layers of green; in autumn, forests turn into a riot of colorful hues; in winter, snow weighs down the green pines, dressing them in silver.”

The Millennium Purple Willow Garden is a high-altitude wetland with an average elevation of 1,080 meters, home to over 1,300 purple willow trees, the oldest of which is over a thousand years old. With these three “thousands”—a wetland a thousand meters above sea level covered with a thousand ancient purple willows—the garden has been hailed by China’s tourism industry as a “unique wonder of China” and is also one of the highlights of Miaodao Mountain. This wetland nurtures purple willows and other species within its unique mountain microclimate, forming a complete high-altitude wetland ecosystem. The purple willows found here belong to the Salix genus of the Salicaceae family and are moisture-tolerant deciduous trees. Measurements show that the oldest tree is 1,280 years old, making it a genuine ancient and rare tree. This precious “living fossil” resource, with its unique scientific research value, attracts numerous scientists for visits and studies every year. The millennium purple willows, infused with the essence of heaven and earth and witness to the vicissitudes of time, mostly grow in twisted, gnarled forms—ancient, majestic, and weathered—each one a natural bonsai. The entire grove forms a naturally formed grand bonsai garden. With scenes like “Drunken Taibai,” “Four Generations Under One Roof,” and “Snowy Willow Garden in Sunshine,” each tree is unique, offering endless fascination to visitors.

Address: Within Yuexi County, Anqing

Transportation: Take a bus from Anqing Long-Distance Bus Station to the Miaodao Mountain Scenic Area in Yuexi and get off at the destination.