Nanchang Tianxiang Garden

Nanchang Tianxiang Garden

Nanchang Tianxiang Garden is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Tianxiang Garden is situated on Qingshanhu South Avenue in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, and was formerly called the West Lake Horticultural Farm. Established in 1976, it spans 112 mu and houses over 30,000 potted plants of different sizes, along with more than 26,000 cultivated flowers and trees, making it the largest Jiangxi-style potted plant and flower base in Jiangxi Province. The garden is densely planted with trees and flowers, maintaining a favorable natural environment that has attracted a large number of birds. At its peak, it hosted 32 species and over 50,000 birds, earning it the reputation of a “bird paradise.” It is rare for a provincial capital city in China to have such a significant bird population coexisting harmoniously with residents, thriving and breeding safely. The garden also features traditional-style structures such as a tea art house, Golden Buddha Hall, and Yunquan Calligraphy Studio. With trees providing shade, lush green lawns, and fragrant blossoms throughout, it truly is an urban oasis in Nanchang.

Located within the built-up urban area of Nanchang, a provincial capital with a population of 2.2 million, Tianxiang Garden is just 4 kilometers from the city center at Bayi Square. Its grand entrance, a 16-meter-high vermilion arch gate adorned with enamel-painted designs, bears the golden calligraphy “Tianxiang Garden” inscribed by Qi Gong, revered as the modern sage of Chinese calligraphy. On the reverse side is the authentic handwriting of his brother Qi Ru, equally extraordinary and imposing. Covering an area of 1,150 mu, the garden features interconnected wetlands, lakes, and pristine marshes, hosting over 30 species of wild migratory birds totaling several hundred thousand individuals. Experts from UNESCO, after conducting surveys, noted that the abundance, density, beauty, and proximity of the birds here rank first among urban areas worldwide.

- The vibrant migratory bird forest at Tianxiang Garden has not only captivated countless domestic and international visitors but also drawn global attention. Starting in 1998, the European Union dispatched experts to conduct continuous monitoring at the garden for several years. In 2000, Tianxiang Garden was designated by the EU as an “Urban Migratory Bird Ecological Environment Research Base.” Along the shaded paths in the garden, hundreds of rare birds—such as peacocks, ostriches, zebra finches, and fancy pigeons—are kept in semi-wild conditions, displaying dazzling colors and lively behaviors, offering visitors endless fascination.

Tianxiang Garden spans 84 hectares. In areas with minimal human disturbance, dominant tree species such as Chinese fir, wingnut, Cudrania tricuspidata, and Ilex cornuta form a semi-natural, semi-artificial plant community that combines grasses, shrubs, and trees, providing an ideal habitat for birds. The plant communities and avian life in Tianxiang Garden have merged into a unique “birds–city–ecology” system that appears almost naturally formed.

The garden’s superior “urban oasis” has attracted summer migratory birds such as night herons, egrets, intermediate egrets, cattle egrets, and pond herons to nest and breed. Statistics show that the bird population reaches over 180,000, comprising 32 wild species. Since the winter of 2003, species such as night herons and egrets have stayed in the garden for the season. On a single neem tree, up to 268 herons have been spotted roosting. Some migratory birds have even become resident year-round, a rare phenomenon in a major metropolis. Located on Qingshanhu Avenue in Nanchang, Tianxiang Garden integrates Jiangxi residential architectural art with horticulture, Zen Buddhism, birdwatching, calligraphy, and tea culture. Experts praise it as a “paradise of cultural ecology,” while domestic and international horticultural scholars acclaim it as a “bird paradise” and a “sea of potted plants.” It has been recognized by UNESCO and relevant EU experts as having the highest bird population, density, and closeness to humans of any urban area in the world.

Both Tianxiang Garden and relevant experts from the EU unanimously agree that the quantity, density, and proximity of birds here rank first among urban areas globally.

Also known as the Kingdom of Potted Plants, Tianxiang Garden houses over 20,000 potted plants, many of which are masterpieces that have won numerous national and international awards, forming a distinctive Jiangxi-style potted plant aesthetic: natural, bold, rustic, and elegant. Most astonishing are the 6,000 tree stump potted plants, most of which are ancient forest trees aged between 100 and 900 years—truly a rare sight in the world and the finest in China.

In 2002, Tianxiang Garden was named one of Nanchang’s “New Ten Scenic Spots of Yuzhang,” helping promote the city’s brand as an “urban bird haven.”

Suggested Duration

4 hours

Transportation

Bus: Routes 535, 31, and Tourist Line 1 to Tianxiang Garden Station.

Self-driving: After entering downtown Nanchang, you can access the garden via Jiefang West Road, Shunwai Road, Shanghai Road, Qingshanhu South Avenue, or Gaoxin Avenue. Tianxiang Garden is situated slightly south of Qingshanhu South Avenue, directly opposite the Xiangjiang Building Materials Market.

Admission Fee

Adults: 50 RMB

Children and seniors: half price

Students: 30 RMB

Opening Hours

8:00-18:00

Location

No. 333, Nan Avenue, Qing Shanhu District, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province