Lotus Sea National Forest Park

Lotus Sea National Forest Park

Lotus Sea National Forest Park is a national-level forest park.

Located in the Kuxirong Valley at an altitude of 3,000 meters in Pushurong Township, Kangding County, it lies between Mount Gongga and the Wuxu Hai Scenic Area. It is named after the lotuses that grow in the "sea" and is also known as Hehai Lake, a high-altitude freshwater lake surrounded by grasslands, forests, and snow-capped mountains, offering picturesque scenery.

Overall, Lotus Sea Forest Park is a comprehensive natural landscape complex. Its landscape types include primeval forests and wildlife, hot springs, alpine lakes, and modern glaciers. It boasts rich plant species, complex flora composition, and a complete vertical vegetation belt spectrum; wildlife resources mainly consist of alpine animals, including about 322 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles; as well as over 10 hot springs and five alpine lakes.

Primeval Forest: Lotus Sea Forest Park has a high forest coverage rate, complex community structure, diverse forest types, with the main forest vegetation consisting of trees, sub-trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and mosses. Low-altitude areas are mostly broad-leaved forests of alpine oak, poplar, and birch, mid-altitude areas are primarily coniferous and mixed coniferous-broadleaf forests dominated by spruce, fir, larch, and rhododendron, while high-altitude areas mostly feature low shrubs and moss plants. The lush forest vegetation creates a verdant, deep, and mysterious green landscape. The spruce, fir, and oak trees in the park are extensively draped with old man’s beard, making the primeval forest landscape extremely rare in China.

Alpine Lakes: There are five large alpine lakes in the park, among which Lotus Sea sits at an altitude of 3,960 meters. The lake is semi-lunar in shape, stretching 2,100 meters in length, with a maximum width of about 250 meters and covering an area of approximately 52.5 hectares. The lake is 1–5 meters deep. With crystal-clear, jade-like water, it is embraced by surrounding mountains, lush green grass, and vibrant wildflowers, making it one of Sichuan’s most scenic natural lakes.

Hot Springs: The park has over ten hot springs of varying sizes. The hot spring cluster is advantageously located between Lotus Sea and the Big Meadow, just 2 kilometers from Lotus Sea. A large amount of boiling spring water gushes from underground, with outlet temperatures reaching 80°C—hot enough to brew tea or boil eggs. The daily flow exceeds 150 tons and contains various beneficial trace elements such as sulfur, lithium, strontium, fluorine, zinc, boron, selenium, and germanium. The boiling water flows down the mountain slope, forming a curtain of water. In the lush valley, white mist drifts unpredictably, mountains appear and disappear, creating a fairyland-like scene—it is one of China’s premium hot springs.

Glaciers: Across from Lotus Sea stands the majestic Rhino God Mountain, with an altitude of 4,760 meters. Looking up, the towering peak pierces the clouds. The glacier and snow at the summit shimmer with silvery white light, never melting year-round, complementing the azure blue waters of Lotus Sea to form the natural landscape of this alpine lake.

Wildlife: The park is home to about 320 species of wildlife. Wild macaques often appear and are a common sight for visitors. They inhabit the forest-shrub zones of stony mountains, especially in vast areas where cliffs, streams, valleys, and climbing vines thrive, typically their ideal habitat, ranging from 2,000 to 3,600 meters in altitude.

The park features a rich variety of landscapes that are naturally well-combined. Particularly in the Lotus Sea scenic area, the colorful forests, beautiful meadows, deep canyons, magical glaciers, and murmuring streams create boundlessly beautiful scenery.

Pushurong Township: A township under the jurisdiction of Kangding County. Established in 1956 as Pushurong Township, it became a commune in 1966 and was restored as a township in 1984. Located in the southwestern part of the county, it is 163 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 650.5 square kilometers, it has a population of 2,000. It has road access. It administers seven village committees: Yidai, Binggu, Changcaoping, Kuxirong, Huoshan, Pushurong I, and Pushurong II. The main agricultural products are corn and wheat. ... Pushurong Township detailed information++

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