Gongya Mountain Forest Ecotourism Area

Gongya Mountain Forest Ecotourism Area

The Gongya Mountain Forest Ecotourism Area is located in Hua’an County in southern Fujian Province, 28 kilometers from the county seat of Hua’an. It consists of Gongshen Peak and Qilin Peak, covering an area of 626.7 hectares. The area boasts abundant forest resources and unique natural landscapes, renowned for its dense woods, majestic mountains, peculiar rocks, rare trees, beautiful waters, serene valleys, and unusual caves. The climate is pleasant—spring brings blooming mountain flowers enveloped in white mist, summer offers cool shade under lush foliage, late autumn is filled with the fragrance of fruits on the trees, and winter ushers in a chilly atmosphere reminiscent of northern China. The area is home to countless exquisite rocks, often praised as “the mountains are wondrous, but the rocks are even more so; the stone animal scenery is the finest in all of Fujian,” especially

“The Heavenly Dog Dreaming Under the Moon” and “Turtles Racing Over the Mountains”

, “Eagle Catching the Chicks”,

and “Kingfisher Playing with Sand Shark”—natural rock formations that vividly resemble these animals. Renowned Chinese archaeologist Gai Shanlin, during his visit to Gongya Mountain, composed a poem: “Light clouds drift, mist hangs thick / Veiling the mountain’s face in gray. / All speak of the splendid scenery south of Zhangzhou, / But none surpass the views of Gongya Mountain.” Esteemed Chinese photographers Xu Xiaobing and Hou Bo inscribed, “A Marvel of Fujian—Gongya Mountain in Hua’an.” Lü Houmin, former Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and world-renowned artist, wrote, “Gongya Mountain—a Premier Tourist Destination.” Zhang Yu, Vice Chairman of the China Photographers Association, Vice Chairman of the Fujian Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Chairman of the Fujian Photographers Association, and celebrated photographer, has created numerous works at Gongya Mountain and inscribed, “A Sacred Mountain of Wondrous Scenery.” The area preserves over 5,000 acres of pristine subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest. It is the most ecologically intact natural gene pool of flora and fauna in Fujian Province, aside from the two national nature reserves of Wuyi Mountain and Meihua Mountain. To date, 120 families, 273 genera, and 428 species of vascular plants have been identified here, along with 15 orders, 97 families, and 717 species of insects. The site is home to nationally protected plants such as Amentotaxus argotaenia, Fokienia hodginsii, Castanopsis hystrix, and Ormosia hosiei, as well as protected wildlife including the python, pangolin, and mandarin duck. The area also has rich butterfly resources, featuring China’s endemic species like the Broad-tailed Swallowtail and Eyed Tiger, as well as globally renowned species such as the Dead Leaf Butterfly. The forest also supports a diverse range of higher basidiomycetes fungi, mainly including Clavariadelphus, species of Cuphophyllus, Ganoderma, Dictyophora, and Russula.

The Gongya Mountain Forest Ecotourism Area is an important part of Hua’an National Forest Park and serves as a creative base for photographers in Fujian Province. It is an ideal destination for leisure vacations, summer retreats, artistic photography, hiking and fitness, cave exploration, water recreation, fishing for relaxation, forest bathing, and scientific research.