Snow Treasure Mountain National Forest Park

Snow Treasure Mountain National Forest Park

Snow Treasure Mountain National Forest Park is a national-level forest park.

Snow Treasure Mountain National Forest Park and Nature Reserve. Located in the northeast, it borders Wuxi County to the east, connects with Man Yue Township and - Forest Farm of Kaixian County to the west, adjoins Guanmian Township and Baiquan Township to the south, and faces Chengkou County to the north. Accessible via the Chongqing–Wanzhou Expressway and Wanzhou–Kaixian Expressway, then by bus from Kaixian County to the scenic area. It is 74 kilometers from downtown Kaixian County. It is a mountainous ecological tourism area that combines sightseeing, touring, leisure, vacationing, and scientific research. The area is covered with snow for long periods each year (3–4 months), and in winter, the snow blankets the entire mountain, making it look like a giant draped in a snow robe standing atop the peaks. When the sun shines, it reflects a golden glow, resembling a silver mountain rising from a sea of green—hence the name Snow Treasure Mountain.

The total area of Snow Treasure Mountain Park is 184.08 square kilometers. The main landforms within the park include Yizi Liang, Jieliang Mountain, and Guanmian Mountain. Elevations range from 428 meters to 2,534 meters, with a drop of about 2,100 meters. Snow Treasure Mountain Forest Park belongs to the mid-subtropical moist evergreen broad-leaved forest zone. The natural environment is complex, with excellent hydrothermal conditions, preserving large areas of forest and meadow vegetation. The forest and grass coverage rate reaches 90%, and the total volume of standing timber is approximately 300,000 cubic meters. The area features rich vegetation and is home to many rare and endangered wild plant species under national protection. According to the "List of Nationally Protected Wild Plant Resources" issued by the State Forestry Administration and Ministry of Agriculture in 1997, Snow Treasure Mountain has 50 rare tree species across 46 genera and 36 families. Among them, there are six Class I nationally protected plants: yew, southern yew, dove tree, light-leaf dove tree, ginkgo, and metasequoia. Among the key protected plants, the Chinese dove tree (Thuja sutchuenensis) is a globally rare and endangered species, currently found only in the Snow Treasure Mountain region.

Snow Treasure Mountain is known for its “three specialties”: 1. A wide variety of wild natural green vegetables; 2. Medicinal honey with curative properties for many ailments; 3. An exceptionally rich diversity of medicinal herbs.

The park mainly consists of the Tianshui Waterfall Scenic Area, Baili Gorge Scenic Area, and Snow Treasure Summit Scenic Area, with a total of about 74 attractions.

Tianshui Spring Waterfall: The most unique feature of Snow Treasure Mountain. First, the waterfall originates from a lava underground river; second, the water gushes directly out of the underground river exit, shooting several meters into the air; third, the underground spring water plunges 300 meters through the air, hence the name “Tianshui Spring Waterfall.” Located in the southwestern part of the park, it covers an area of 19.05 square kilometers and is characterized by its water features.

Millennium Dove Trees: Over 8,000 millennium-old dove trees in Snow Treasure Mountain are unique in the world, forming the most concentrated and largest population of such ancient trees. They hold high scientific and aesthetic value.

Baili Gorge: A 50-kilometer-long canyon, 20–30 meters wide. The gorge runs through the central part of the park, with towering mountains on both sides, each with distinct shapes, making it a uniquely spectacular and spiritually rich natural landscape. It includes 23 major and minor attractions such as the Baili Gorge Rafting Site, Donghe Waterfalls, Baili Gorge Forest Sea, Hengwen Hot Spring, Xiangshui Spring, and Jiancao Gorge.

Subalpine Meadow: Within the park, areas above 2,000 meters cover more than 50,000 mu, making it the largest, most pristine, and best-preserved subalpine meadow in southern China.

Snow Treasure Summit: Located in the northeastern part of the park, covering an area of 30.73 square kilometers. Characterized by mid-mountain meadows, it offers picturesque scenery that changes with the seasons. The rare dove trees are unparalleled in the world, and the atmospheric phenomena are rare and spectacular. Major attractions include Zhaojiaping Grassland, Shiliping Grassland, Chechangba Grassland, Sandaoping Grassland, Snow Treasure Mountain Prairie, Snow Treasure Mountain Sea of Clouds, Snow Treasure Morning Glow, Snow Treasure Sunset, and the Sleeping Buddha on Snowtop, comprising 38 major and minor attractions.