Tianya Rainforest Museum

Tianya Rainforest Museum

The Tianya Rainforest Museum is currently the largest root carving and root art exhibition hall in Asia, showcasing a collection of rare, giant root carvings and artworks. It was established in July 2003 by Mr. Luo Deshan, an Indonesian returned overseas Chinese. These massive root carvings and artworks were excavated from the silt of the Sun River bed. Due to geological shifts and river course alterations, towering trees that were hundreds, thousands, or even ancient in origin became deeply buried in mud and riverbeds. Through prolonged physical and chemical processes, they transformed into incredibly hard, uniquely shaped, giant, and mystical artistic works. While displaying the beauty of nature, these artworks also reveal the original appearance, forms, and traces of the tropical rainforests that once thrived along the Sun River, telling touching stories of the rainforest life on both sides of the river. In the 1950s, the areas along the Sun River were covered in dense primeval forests. The Sun River had abundant, crystal-clear water year-round. Back then, stepping out your door, you’d be greeted by lush woodlands, with countless trees so large that several people couldn’t encircle them with their arms. The Sun River was wide and deep. Returned overseas Chinese in Xinglong fished, caught shrimp, boated, played in the water, washed rice, vegetables, and clothes in the Sun River—so many beautiful stories originated there. However, with excessive human development, precious forests were heavily logged, leading to significant soil erosion. Today, those idyllic scenes are gone. The Sun River has been reduced to a small stream, and those massive trees that once required several people to hug are nowhere to be seen. Only the trunks of these great trees can now be unearthed from the Sun River’s silt. What a painful lesson this is. The establishment of the Tianya Rainforest Museum is precisely to awaken people's awareness of forest conservation, environmental protection, and the preservation of nature. Currently, the Tianya Rainforest Museum spans 80 acres and includes three main components: ① A root carving and root art exhibition hall covering over 4,000 square meters. ② A cultural corridor, performance hall, and craft workshops. ③ Gardens and landscaping. The main exhibition hall of the Tianya Rainforest Museum is approximately 3,000 square meters and is decorated and laid out to mimic the original appearance of a tropical rainforest. Upon entering the main hall, it feels as if you’ve stepped into a primeval forest, complete with dense trees, flowing springs and cascading waterfalls, steep cliffs and rocks, ancient tree dragons, small bridges over flowing streams, fish leaping and birds chirping. Even more striking are the giant root carvings and artworks. Some of these massive root pieces weigh from several to dozens of tons, with some reaching up to nine meters in height, totaling thousands of artworks in various sizes. They feature unique shapes and diverse forms, and most of the works are made from tree species that are endangered or even extinct in the tropical rainforest, such as dozens of rare species including Hopea hainanensis, Vatica astrotricha, Hopea mollissima, Sindora glabra, and Burretiodendron hsienmu. A considerable number of these have been appraised by experts as “priceless treasures.” Being in the main exhibition hall feels like standing in a grand, natural art sanctuary—leaving visitors lost in awe and wonder. The cultural corridor primarily displays the development history and culture of Xinglong. Xinglong is the largest overseas Chinese farm in China, home to 25,000 returned overseas Chinese from 21 countries and regions around the world. The past fifty years of Xinglong’s development is the story of fifty years of struggle by these returned overseas Chinese. The transformation of Xinglong from a remote, impoverished village fifty years ago to the thriving tourist city it is today is the result of the tireless efforts and hard work of these patriotic returnees, as well as the care and support of three generations of China’s top leaders (such as –, Zhou Enlai, –, –, –, etc.), and assistance from international friends. Though it has been fifty years since returning to China, these senior returned overseas Chinese still retain the language, culture, customs, food, clothing, and handicrafts of their former homelands. This gives Xinglong its distinctive exotic charm, attracting countless domestic and international tourists. The gardens and landscaping at the Tianya Rainforest Museum occupy a considerable area, filled with blooming flowers, uniquely shaped rocks, and highlights such as the “Priceless Treasure” plantation, the Rosewood Hill, Fishing Terrace, and a stunning Eight Trigrams formation created with flowers and plants—offering visitors endless enjoyment and unforgettable memories.

Address:

Middle section of Sanya East Expressway

Telephone:

0898-62555555

Opening Hours:

7:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Ticket: 15 RMB

By Car

Drive 3.9 km in the due east direction of Wanning City, turn right onto G223 and drive 17.5 km, make a slight left turn and drive 40 m, then make another slight left turn and drive 150 m to reach the destination.