Camellia nitidissima Park

Camellia nitidissima Park

Camellia nitidissima Park is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Nanning’s Camellia nitidissima Park is the world’s first and currently the only park dedicated primarily to the cultivation and research of the nationally rare and endangered plant “Camellia nitidissima,” while also striving to collect, preserve, cultivate, breed, and utilize other species of the Camellia genus. The park is situated by the scenic South Lake and was opened to the public in December 1995. It covers an area of 23.78 hectares, including 17.71 hectares of green space, with a green coverage rate of 74.5%. In 2006, it was designated as a national AAA-level tourist attraction; in 2010, it was awarded the title “China Camellia nitidissima Breeding Research Base”; in 2011, it was granted the titles “Key Park of Guangxi” and “Guangxi Youth Science and Technology Education Base.” It has been recognized multiple times as an outstanding tourist attraction in the city and a “Three Excellences and One Satisfaction” park in the gardening system. In March 2014, it received the title “International Outstanding Camellia Park,” becoming the only park in Guangxi to earn this honor.

The park highlights the uniqueness of Camellia nitidissima, using plants as the main landscape element. It employs traditional Chinese landscape gardening techniques—digging ponds, creating hills, and placing rocks along streams—to recreate the natural scenery of the plant’s native habitat: meandering streams and layered green forests. The park is divided into ten scenic areas, including the Camellia nitidissima Gene Bank, the Hometown of Camellia nitidissima, and the Premium Camellia Garden. The main scenic area—the Premium Camellia Garden—is planted with 302 original species and 8,160 plants of Camellia nitidissima, Camellia, Camellia oleifera, and Camellia sasanqua. From November to April each year during the peak blooming season, the colorful camellias vie in beauty, attracting a continuous stream of visitors. A collection of distinctive Lingnan-style garden features, such as the “Hundred Varieties of Camellia Souls,” “Pomegranate Flower Boat,” “Golden Camellia Reflecting the Moon,” and “Mandala Bridge,” blend seamlessly with poetic couplets and inscriptions about camellias penned by renowned writers. Against the graceful backdrop of blooming camellias, they present beautiful scenes that highlight the profound cultural heritage of camellia flowers. Every Spring Festival when the camellias are in full bloom, the Nanning “Camellia Culture Festival” is held, making flower viewing and tea tasting a new festive tradition for the city’s residents.

Established in 1981, the Camellia nitidissima Gene Bank is currently the world’s largest repository of Camellia nitidissima species, housing 33 original species and varieties totaling 3,100 plants. It is the most comprehensive gene bank for Camellia nitidissima in the world. Through 32 years of unremitting efforts by the park’s breeding experts, eight new hybrid varieties of Camellia nitidissima have been successfully cultivated. In 2010, two new hybrid varieties—“Dongyue” and “Jinbei Danxin”—were officially registered, adding two new members to China’s camellia family. The Camellia nitidissima Science Popularization Museum and Science Corridor serve as educational bases for showcasing Camellia nitidissima and promoting botanical science knowledge, receiving over 200,000 young students annually free of charge.

The park integrates sightseeing, leisure, entertainment, scientific research, and production, and is staffed by 26 senior and mid-level engineers specializing in landscaping and related fields. Each year, the park continuously upgrades its scenic spots to meet the recreational needs of visitors and organizes a series of camellia cultural activities for the public. The park is committed to advancing toward becoming a multifunctional, high-quality ecological park.