Zhaoyuan Luoshan Gold Culture Tourism Area

Zhaoyuan Luoshan Gold Culture Tourism Area

Zhaoyuan Luoshan Gold Culture Tourism Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Scenic Area Title: Rural Tourism (Shandong Province “Free & Easy Travel” Demonstration Site)

The Luoshan Gold Culture Tourism Area is planned to feature four major themed zones: the “Luoshan Gold Tourism Belt,” “Forest Park Scenic Area,” “Golden Capital Peak Scenic Area,” and “Golden Countryside Resort.” Its spatial layout presents a “one belt, three zones” structure. Major attractions include the China Gold Live Expo Park, Luoshan National Forest Park, Gold Panning Town, Zhaojin Shunhe Hotel, and the “Great Golden Vein” TV series filming base. It has been awarded honors such as “National AAAA-Level Tourist Attraction,” “Shandong Province Agricultural Tourism Demonstration Site,” “Shandong Province Self-driving Tour Demonstration Site,” “100 Must-Visit Places in Shandong,” and serves as a national, provincial, municipal, and county-level science education base. The tourism area is fully equipped with dining, accommodation, shopping, and participatory facilities, making it an ideal destination for sightseeing, leisure vacations, conferences, exhibitions, and team training.

The China Gold Live Expo Park is rooted in Zhaoyuan’s long-standing gold culture and integrates technology, artistry, and entertainment, combining leisure, sightseeing, dining, and shopping. It comprehensively showcases the entire process of gold mining, selection, smelting, and the ancient and modern gold culture from around the world, earning the reputation as “China’s No.1 Gold Experience Tour.” Construction of the Expo Park began in August 2008 and it officially opened to the public on August 28, 2009, with a total investment of 480 million yuan. It mainly consists of four parts: the Gold Museum, Mine Shaft Experience Area, Live Exhibition Area, and Dining Service Area. The Gold Museum has a construction area of nearly 7,000 square meters and includes exhibition halls such as the China Gold Capital Hall, Eternal Gold Soul Hall, Golden Years Hall, Flame-Tempered Gold Hall, World Gold Journey Hall, Chinese Gold Culture Hall, Gold Trading Experience Hall, and General’s Charm Hall. It is currently the largest and highest-grade gold-themed exhibition hall in China. Through cultural relics, models, multimedia, maps, and more, it unfolds the complex history of gold culture, presenting a historical tapestry of humanity’s greed for gold intertwined with the development of civilization over thousands of years. The Dining Service Area offers both four-star and three-star accommodations for about 200 people, with restaurants that can seat around 400 people for simultaneous dining. All food is made using pure peanut oil and natural wheat flour, with no additives. Our chefs, trained under master chefs with over ten years of experience, are highly skilled. The dishes not only feature the essential flavors of Sichuan cuisine—numbing, spicy, sweet, salty, sour, and bitter—but also incorporate the characteristics of northern Chinese cuisine: bright colors, generous presentation, savory and spicy tastes with rich, thick sauces, well-balanced flavor, and high nutritional value. Dishes include exquisite banquet dishes, steamed and braised dishes, casual meals, home-style flavors, and folk snacks. Enjoying delicious food to the sound of melodious music while admiring the beautiful surroundings is truly a delightful experience.

Luoshan National Forest Park is not only an “eco-friendly golden mountain” and a “Mountain of Great Figures,” but also a provincial agricultural tourism demonstration site. The scenic area features natural landscapes such as Maogong Mountain, Lotus Treasure Basin, waterfalls, the Divine Turtle Viewing Pool, and forest oxygen bars, as well as cultural sites like the Waterfall Pavilion, Shuangyi Pavilion, and the Historical Emperors Record, along with historical and cultural landmarks such as Xiangguang Temple and Zhou Ancestral Temple. There are also magical and beautiful legends such as the Wolf-Driving Stone Pillar, Run Tun Ding, and Twin-Eye Rock.

The Luoshan Mountain range stretches for over a hundred li and is the “golden and jade-inlaid roof” of “China’s Gold Capital.” Its main peak stands at an elevation of 759 meters, making it the highest mountain within Zhaoyuan and the third tallest in Jiaodong. The mountain covers an area of 18.8 square kilometers. Luoshan boasts beautiful natural scenery with deep forests, clear springs, peculiar rocks, and lush flowers and plants. It is home to over 1,000 plant species and more than 20 types of wildlife, with a forest coverage rate of over 90% and negative oxygen ion levels more than 400 times that of cities. It is known as the “Plant Treasure House” and “Forest Oxygen Bar.” There are numerous historical and cultural sites, crisscrossing gold fields, and scattered gold mining ruins across the mountains. In 1992, it was approved as a national forest park. In 2005, it was named one of the first provincial agricultural tourism demonstration sites in Shandong. In 2008, it was rated as a national AAA-level tourist attraction, and in 2011, it was upgraded to a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The “Great Golden Vein” TV Series Filming Base is located within Luoshan National Forest Park, covering an area of 16 mu (approximately 1.07 hectares) with an investment of 120 million yuan. It was built in 2011 by Jinyou Group, modeled after the Linglong Gold Mine under Japanese control during the 1920s and 1930s. The base includes areas such as the “Linglong Gold Mine Processing Plant,” “Japanese Command Post,” “Republic-Era Residences,” “Primitive Metallurgy Zone,” and “Gold Mining Caves.” It functions both as an operational gold mine and a modern film set. The filming base project was completed in September 2011, and in October of the same year, the CCTV epic drama “Great Golden Vein” was successfully filmed there. It is now open to visitors. Strolling through the area, you can immerse yourself in the rich ambiance of the Republic of China era, explore the secrets behind filmmaking, and enjoy colorful live performances—it’s an experience you won’t want to miss.

Gold Panning Town (also known as Five Elements Gold Town) covers an area of 100 mu and was built with an investment of 300 million yuan by Shandong Zhongkuang Group. It is located south of the China Gold Live Expo Park and north of Luoshan National Forest Park. The town consists of a gold-themed experience area, the God of Wealth Square, a leisure and entertainment zone, and a comprehensive service area. It blends gold culture, God of Wealth culture, street culture, and folk culture, using scene recreations and visitor participation to showcase the techniques of gold mining, selection, and smelting from the Song Dynasty, the lives of miners, gold management systems, and the marketplace. Visiting Gold Panning Town feels like traveling back to the Song Dynasty. Here, you can experience intangible cultural heritage originating from the Song Dynasty and admire the simple yet classic Song Dynasty architecture and bustling market scenes.

Zhaojin Shunhe Hotel is a core tourism project within the Luoshan Gold Culture Tourism Area, focusing on vacation and accommodation services. It is located at the former site of the “714” Army Field Hospital at the southern foot of Luoshan Mountain. The planned land area is approximately 110 mu, with a total construction area of 45,000 square meters and an estimated total investment of 300 million yuan. It is the highest-end resort in the Luoshan Gold Culture Tourism Area. The entire training center is scheduled to be completed and open by the end of 2012.

Featured Attractions: In Gold Panning Town, you can not only experience intangible cultural heritage originating from the Song Dynasty but also admire the simple Song Dynasty architecture and vibrant market life. Luoshan National Forest Park is an “eco-friendly golden mountain” and a “Mountain of Great Figures,” with beautiful natural scenery, deep forests, clear springs, unique rocks, and lush flowers and plants. It is home to over 1,000 plant species and more than 20 types of wildlife, with a forest coverage rate of over 90% and negative oxygen ion levels more than 400 times that of cities. It is known as the “Plant Treasure House” and “Forest Oxygen Bar.”

Address: Oujiakuang Village, Linglong Town, Zhaoyuan City

Business Hours: 8:00–16:30

Tour Duration: Approximately 5 hours

Price: 50 yuan/person

Featured Attractions: Sea of Clouds: The Luoshan Forest Park often features the spectacular sight of advection fog, where mountain peaks are enveloped in mist, creating a fairy-tale-like scene. As the sea of clouds drifts between the peaks, it appears snow-white, like a galaxy descending from the heavens. The surrounding landscape is instantly shrouded in silvery mist, which shifts with the wind, creating an ever-changing, dreamlike world that seems both real and illusory.

Best Viewing Time: Early morning during the flood season (around July)

Best Viewing Location: Throughout Luoshan Forest Park

Recommended Tour Route: Divine Turtle Square – Grand Waterfall Scenic Area – Lotus Basin Scenic Area

Tour Guide Fees: Guided tour service: 100 yuan per group

Supporting Facilities:

Dining and Accommodation: Expo Park Grand Hotel

Visitor Service Center: The Luoshan Gold Eco-Tourism Area Visitor Service Center is located at the southern entrance of the scenic area and includes a service building and a large ecological parking lot. Its main functions include: (1) tourism information consultation; (2) promotion and display of scenic spots; (3) recommendation of travel routes; (4) sale of scenic area tickets; (5) display of tourism souvenirs; (6) handling of tourism complaints; (7) rescue and assistance services; (8) convenience services, etc.

Public Transportation:

The bus from Zhaoyuan to Oujiakuang departs from the Bread Bus Station, passing through Zhaoyuan Leather City and Linglong Government → Oujiakuang → China Gold Live Expo Park and Luoshan National Forest Park. The route is 10 km long, with a one-way trip taking 25 minutes. Buses run approximately every 20 minutes (i.e., one bus every 40 minutes), with the first bus departing from Zhaoyuan at 7:00 AM. The buses are newly purchased minibuses (FJ0631, FJ6358, FJ7685), offering visitors a convenient and comfortable ride.

Self-Driving Guide:

G20 Qingdao–Jinan Expressway → G18 Rongcheng–Wuhai Expressway → Exit at Zhaoyuan → Provincial Highway → Follow Jincheng Road to the end. Signs will lead you to the scenic area. The journey takes approximately 60 minutes.

G15 Shenyang–Haikou Expressway → Exit at Zhaoyuan → Head to Daqinjia Town. Signs will direct you to the scenic area. The journey takes approximately 60 minutes.

Parking Information:

There are parking spaces available at the scenic area entrance, inside the grounds, and along the roadside.