Zibo Lushan National Forest Park

Zibo Lushan National Forest Park

Zibo Lushan National Forest Park is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national forest park.

The park's featured landscapes mainly include: the Maze of Ten Thousand Rocks, the One-Line Sky, and the Jujube Tree Valley Waterfall.

The main scenic spots in the park are: Lushan Botanical Garden, the Maze of Ten Thousand Rocks, the Camel Chan Temple, the Incense Burner Peak, the Brocade Fish Lake, the Cloud Ladder Wonderland, the North Ping Water Town, the Jujube Tree Valley Waterfall, and the Crouching Dragon Mountain. The estimated visiting time is about 4 hours.

A recommended scenic route is: Lushan Botanical Garden – Jujube Tree Valley Waterfall – Cloud Ladder – Mirror Lake – Maze of Ten Thousand Rocks – Guanyun Peak – Camel Chan Temple.

Lushan is located in the southern part of Zibo City, spanning across the districts of Boshan and Yiyuan. Its main peak stands at an elevation of 1,108.3 meters, making it the highest peak in central Shandong. Within Shandong Province, it is the fourth highest peak after Mount Tai, Mount Lao, and Mount Yi. Since the mountain is primarily composed of limestone and granite—and its granite strata are similar to those of Mount Tai—Lushan is also known as the “Little Tai.” Additionally, Lushan is the birthplace of the earliest inhabitants of Shandong, the “Yiyuan Ape Man.”

With a long history, Lushan was once a royal horse farm during China’s Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, operating for over 600 years. It was also among the first state-owned forest farms after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, ensuring the complete preservation of its ecological environment. The area boasts rich flora and fauna, including 1,300 plant species, 168 bird species, 22 mammal species, and 561 insect species, earning it the title “Kingdom of Flora and Fauna in Central Shandong.”

Transportation within the park is convenient, with mountain roads leading directly to the summit. Many scenic spots are interconnected. Describing Lushan as “a picturesque sight at every turn on the mountain and in the caves, and serene beauty at every step among the forests, springs, bamboo, and rocks” is no exaggeration. Upon entering Lushan, you first arrive at the Lushan Botanical Garden, where lush trees, babbling streams, and fresh air instantly bring a refreshing, lung-cleansing sensation. “A mountain need not be high to be famous if there is a deity within; water need not be deep to be spiritual if there is a dragon.” Continuing on, you’ll find one of Lushan’s most renowned sights—the Jujube Tree Valley Waterfall, which drips continuously year-round, hence also called the Dripping Water Cliff Waterfall.

Although Lushan doesn’t have the long Eighteen Bends of Mount Tai, it is even more precipitous. The hanging vines give one the feeling of walking through a tropical rainforest. After passing through a relatively flat pine forest area, you’ll come to Lushan’s unique landscape—the Maze of Ten Thousand Rocks. This is a cave corridor formed by massive rocks supporting one another. Many boulders stand against the mountain, forming a maze whose formation remains an unsolved mystery to this day. After walking through the maze, you can immediately ascend to Lushan’s main peak—Guanyun Peak. Looking east from the peak, amidst the green trees, you’ll see a temple: the Camel Chan Temple, built during the Ming Dynasty. Notably, the temple is entirely constructed from stone.

At the foot of the mountain lies another scenic area of Lushan—the Karst Cave Cluster Scenic Area. Here, you can explore the “beautiful, marvelous, perilous, and steep” underground world within a karst cave group consisting of over 100 caves within a five-kilometer radius. Especially in the “World’s No. 1 Stone Flower Cave”—the Jiutian Cave—you can admire the “Four Wonders of Jiutian”: stone flowers, stone lotuses, calcite crystal flowers, and moon milk stones.

Address: Chishang Town, Boshan District, Zibo City

Operating Hours: 7:00–17:00

Visiting Time: Approximately 4 hours

Price: 50 RMB per person

Ticket Discount Policy: Students and employees in extreme poverty receive a 50% discount with valid identification; active-duty military personnel, retired cadres, people with disabilities, children under 1.2 meters in height are admitted free of charge with valid documents.

Featured Landscapes: Sunrise, sea of clouds, forest, rime ice

Suggested Tour Route: Lushan Visitor Center – Black Pine Forest – Maze of Ten Thousand Things – One-Line Sky – Wild Grape Garden – Eagle Gate – Step Cloud Platform – Dragon Viewing Platform – Guanyun Peak – Camel Chan Temple – Larch Forest – Lushan Parking Lot

Guide Fee: 50 RMB per person

Supporting Facilities:

The scenic area offers dining, accommodation, shopping, entertainment venues, and parking facilities.

Visitor Service Center: The scenic area includes dining, accommodation, shopping, entertainment venues, and parking facilities. There are currently four reception facilities in the park, including the three-star Lushan Hotel, which can accommodate 300 conference attendees, 200 overnight guests, and serve 3,000 meals at once.