Tianchi Forest Park

Tianchi Forest Park

Tianchi National Forest Park is located 27 kilometers from Zhongxian County. It earned the name "Tianchi" (Heavenly Lake) due to the formation of two natural lakes at the mountaintop caused by tectonic movements.

Tianchi Forest Park attracts visitors with its unique landscape and exotic culture of the Catholic church. On January 7, 2008, the State Forestry Administration approved the establishment of Tianchi Mountain as a national forest park. Covering an area of 808.9 hectares, the park includes five scenic areas: “Tianchi Scenic Area, Immortal Cave Scenic Area, Old Land Scenic Area, Taojiagou Scenic Area, and Changshi Scenic Area.” These five areas feature a total of 49 scenic spots. The park is long from north to south and narrow from east to west, with peaks of various sizes and heights scattered across the landscape. There are cliffs with hundred-meter-high rock faces, leaning pines, and bizarre rock formations stretching for miles. The continuous mountains are lush and layered, their beauty boundless, while vast forests do not conceal the majesty of the high peaks. Verdant grass does not block the serene beauty of crystal-clear waters. Clouds drift unpredictably through the area, and the wind whispers gently as one peak stands more gracefully than the next—altogether, a spectacular sight. The terrain here varies: some parts are gentle, others steep, thrilling, or sprawling, each with distinct forms and countless scenes that spark endless imagination.

The park boasts abundant forest landscape resources, diverse vegetation types, and well-arranged scenic zones, characterized by beauty, grandeur, serenity, and wonder. It serves as an ideal destination for summer retreats, sightseeing, adventure, exploration, nature appreciation, leisure, recuperation, and scientific research. It is also a rare scenic area in the Three Gorges reservoir region featuring canyon landscapes, with a focus on natural forest scenery.

The area is home to numerous rare flowers and ancient trees, with a rich diversity of flora and fauna. There are over 260 species of trees and shrubs from 71 families, and more than 70 species of animals. It is one of the best-preserved primeval forests in eastern Sichuan. Towering green trees and ancient giants layer the landscape, blocking out the sun and creating an atmosphere of antiquity, primitiveness, and seclusion. Known as a “natural plant gene bank,” the park also hosts the Southern Yew (a first-class nationally protected plant), a rare and endangered species from the Ice Age of the Tertiary Period. Its distribution covers more than 7,000 acres.

The caves within the park are each unique, forming mysterious and fascinating karst landscapes. There is the awe-inspiring Xiaoyao Cave, and the endlessly intriguing Shuanglong Cave (with the Water Dragon Cave on the left and the Dry Dragon Cave on the right). Inside the caves, stalactites, stalagmites, stone flowers, stone curtains, and other formations are uniquely beautiful and breathtaking. Feng Fuxuan, a late Qing Dynasty scholar, once praised Tianchi Mountain in his poem “Night Revelry at Tianchi”: “The Heavenly Lake towers a hundred feet high, shrouded in daytime fog. Plum blossoms greet spring early, tea flowers bloom deep in the clouds. Towers hang atop thousands of trees, windows frame the brightness of myriad peaks. Staying overnight in Nan Village, I burn incense by an ancient jade zither.”

The park also features a Catholic church built in 1886 (the 16th year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty) by a French priest (now well preserved). It was once one of the largest Catholic seminaries in Sichuan, equipped with recreational facilities such as racetracks, soccer fields, and tennis courts. It trained a large number of clergy who are now spread across countries including France, Singapore, and Malaysia. Surrounded by mountains and covered in lush woods, the area once boasted splendid and enchanting scenery, making it a wildly popular tourist destination. Known as a natural oxygen bar, Tianchi Mountain offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, allowing visitors to enjoy the tranquil beauty of nature through adventure, leisure, and vacation experiences.