Shushan Forest Park Scenic Area

Shushan Forest Park Scenic Area

Shushan Forest Park is located on Dashushan Mountain in the western suburbs of Hefei, about 10 kilometers from the city center. With an elevation of 284 meters, it is the only major mountain in the outskirts of Hefei. Dashushan is an extension of the Daqianshan Mountain Range and was formed by volcanic eruptions. Due to past volcanic activity, the area has abundant mineral water reserves.

Shushan Forest Park borders Hefei’s new government district to the south, the Hefei High-Tech Development Zone to the east, and Changjiang West Road to the north. Dashushan Mountain features higher terrain in the southeast and lower in the northwest, taking an oval shape. It has a circumference of 7.75 kilometers, reaches an elevation of 284 meters, with a maximum slope of 30 degrees and a minimum of 5 degrees. The terrain is undulating with deep soil layers, and the dominant vegetation is subtropical mixed deciduous and evergreen broadleaf forest.

As a large-scale mountain-centered park, Shushan Forest Park has been meticulously designed on the basis of traditional architecture. It restores historic sites such as Kaifu Temple, Shu Well, and Dragon King Temple, creating a modern, comprehensive forest park with an elegant environment, rich cultural significance, and strong recreational functions.

Shushan Forest Park covers an area of over 7,000 acres. Towering pines and lush bamboos cover the mountainsides. From a distance, solitary peaks stand proudly amid rising clouds and rosy mist. According to the *Hefei County Annals*, the mountain once had historic sites such as Kaifu Temple, Yuansi Dragon King Temple, and ancient wells.

Dashushan is densely forested with lush green bamboo. Throughout history, many literati have left behind widely celebrated poems here. The scenery of Shushan varies by season, but the winter snowscape is considered the most beautiful—blanketed in white, vast and serene, the “Snow-Covered Shushan” is one of the celebrated “Eight Scenic Spots of Luyang” that has been passed down through generations.

Since 1985, new attractions built in Shushan Forest Park include Snow-Covered Villa, Xishan Scenic Forest, Cherry Blossom Garden, Rose Garden, Crape Myrtle and Maple Forest, and North Artificial Lake. Satellite photos taken in the early 1980s show two circular spots on Dashushan, which are two volcanic craters—the main crater is located at the current main peak. In addition to satellite evidence, Dashushan retains typical features of ancient volcanoes, including volcanic cones, volcanic waterfalls, volcanic rocks, and even rarely seen volcanic necks.

Shushan Forest Park is home to species such as Masson pine, torch pine, yuan bamboo, photinia, dragon juniper, magnolia, cedar, and holly. Deciduous trees mainly include hackberry, cork oak, Chinese tulip tree, tung tree, pagoda tree, and sweet gum, while shrubs include Cudrania tricuspidata, crape myrtle, and mountain pepper.

At the summit of Dashushan stands Anhui Television Transmission Tower, the tallest landmark in Hefei. Surrounding Dashushan, a series of attractions have been developed, including Snow-Covered Villa, Magnolia Avenue, Shushan Gallery, Zodiac Garden, Hefei Wildlife Park, Anhui Celebrity Hall, Martyrs’ Cemetery, Cherry Blossom Garden, and a water recreation park.