World Camphor Sea - Changtan Camphor Forest Scenic Area

World Camphor Sea - Changtan Camphor Forest Scenic Area

The World Camphor Sea - Changtan Camphor Forest Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

The Changtan Camphor Forest Scenic Area is located in the southern part of Longxing Township, Xuzhou District. It enjoys convenient transportation and great market potential, falling within Yibin City’s half-hour living circle, and is situated within the Yuexi River Provincial Scenic Area.

The scenic area features outstanding resources, highlighted by its “camphor trees,” with vast camphor forests, bamboo-lined valleys, and mountainous camphor groves. In addition, the Yuexi River and Changtan River flow through the area, offering beautiful scenery and a high-quality ecological environment. The area produces a significant amount of camphor oil, which serves as the core of the scenic area’s industrial chain development. The cultures of camphor oil, Buddhism, and Panlong blend here, giving the scenic area high historical, cultural, scientific, and research value, as well as notable rarity, scale, richness, and integrity. It is a highly promising project for rural revitalization and industrial integration.

The Changtan Fragrant Ridge Scenic Area is the core zone of the “World Camphor Sea.” It is located in Longxing Township, Yibin County, Yibin City, covering an area of approximately 13 square kilometers. It is about 40 kilometers from Yibin City and about 56 kilometers from Yibin County. G93 Leye Expressway runs east-west through the area, providing convenient transportation. The scenic area is characterized by its “camphor trees,” which have a long planting history. The current planted area exceeds 70,000 mu, with an output value of over 150 million yuan. The production of camphor oil accounts for 50% of the global total and over 70% of the national total. The Yuexi River and Changtan River flow through the scenic area, creating beautiful scenery, a pleasant climate, dense vegetation, abundant natural resources, and a well-preserved ecological environment. The rivers meander gently with crystal-clear waters, while bamboo groves line the riverbanks and rocky beaches are exposed. Towering camphor forests create undulating waves of green, forming a picturesque scene of “bamboo in the valleys and camphor on the mountains.”

In 2017, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce approved “Yibin Camphor” as a national geographical indication certification trademark. Multiple national departments, including the State Forestry Administration, jointly recognized it as one of the “First Batch of China’s Advantageous Regions for Characteristic Agricultural Products,” making it one of the country’s eight major forest products. The scenic area not only offers the natural landscape of “bamboo in the valleys and camphor on the mountains,” but also features historical and cultural sites such as underground pagoda forests and Longxing Ancient Street, all of which are distinctive and of high resource value. Centered around “camphor,” the scenic area extends into multiple industries for integrated development, functioning as a comprehensive park that combines modern agriculture, leisure vacations, tourism, health and wellness, creative agriculture, and farming experiences. Central Chinese TV programs such as “Lost Buddhist Chants,” “Exploration and Discovery,” and “Faraway Home” have produced special documentaries on the scenic area’s “camphor industry” and “underground pagoda forests,” rapidly increasing its visibility and attracting large numbers of tourists for sightseeing and vacationing.