Longchi National Forest Park

Longchi National Forest Park

Longchi National Forest Park is a national-level forest park.

Introduction Located in Longxi Township in the northwest of Dujiangyan City, 84 kilometers from Chengdu, it lies in the Longmen Mountain area at the transition between the Chengdu Plain and the Western Sichuan Plateau, featuring a concentration of high mountain, lake, stream, and waterfall landforms. It is a four-season tourist destination for "viewing flowers in spring, escaping the heat in summer, admiring foliage in autumn, and enjoying snow in winter."

• The mountains are beautiful in all seasons—visit in spring and autumn to see azaleas and red leaves, escape the summer heat, or enjoy winter snow activities.

Attraction Introduction

Longchi National Forest Park boasts clear lakes and waterfalls, lush forests, and peculiar rock formations created by tectonic movements, as well as many rare plants and animals. The scenery here is beautiful all year round: azaleas cover the mountains in spring, the cool summer makes it perfect for escaping the heat, autumn offers vibrant red leaves, and in winter the mountains are blanketed in snow.

The park suffered severe geological disasters such as mudslides during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. It is currently under gradual cleanup and has not officially reopened to tourists, but visitors can still access the scenic area by self-driving.

Starting January 1, 2016, the Dujiangyan government implemented traffic control at the Longchi scenic area, allowing entry only after 4:30 PM. As the area is not officially open, management is not strict, and some information can only be obtained on-site when visiting.

Guide

Sunshine Rock Waterfall

Sunshine Rock Waterfall is located on the left side of the park entrance. The rock face faces west to east and receives direct sunlight, hence the name Sunshine Rock. The waterfall cascades down from the mountainside, about 100 meters high and 20 meters wide, with water droplets splashing into a deep pool. The overflowing water then plunges down to the mountain foot, creating a spectacular view. There is also a larger waterfall at the top of the main falls, with a drop of about 60 meters. On rainy days, the roaring sound of the falls becomes even more magnificent.

Longchi Lake

Longchi Lake covers an area of about 130,000 square meters, with crystal-clear water mirroring the surrounding landscape. Migratory birds visit every year, including over ten rare species such as swans, yellow ducks, bamboo partridges, and mandarin ducks that swim on the water’s surface. It is said that these birds are very particular about water cleanliness, often picking up fallen leaves and debris and dropping them into the forest, keeping the lake surface mirror-like.

Imperial Dragon Garden

Located by Longchi Lake, this area spans over 80,000 square meters and features a cluster of peculiar rocks. The site is filled with towering strange stones, forming numerous deep, serene, lush, and rugged stone gullies, caves, cliffs, and stone forests. More amazingly, the countless uniquely shaped granite rocks are covered with thick moss and various rare ancient trees, such as alpine azaleas, dove trees, lindenleaf trees, willows, and silver magpies. Some mixed trees grow atop rocks with roots extending down into the soil; some azaleas thrive within moss on the rocks, living symbiotically with the stones; and some ancient thousand-year-old trees have thick roots tightly gripping stubborn rocks, creating a unique "tree-rock bond" in the primeval forest. The Imperial Dragon Garden now has walking trails where visitors can explore through the forest and stone formations.

Dragon King Temple

The Dragon King Temple is situated on a high platform by Longchi Lake. In ancient times, it was a place where officials and locals worshipped the Dragon God to pray for rain. The Qiang people in the Maoxian area deeply believed in the Dragon God and would send representatives to Longchi Lake to pray for rain on the 23rd day of the sixth lunar month every year. Records indicate that the Dragon King Temple was first built during the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty conferred the title "Manifest Blessing Dragon King" upon the dragon of Longchi and inscribed the temple plaque with “Abundant Grace over Rivers and Plains.” The current Dragon King Temple complex consists of the temple gate, prayer platform, main hall, and side halls. The temple gates are located at both ends of the terrace, forming a stone-railing-enclosed altar. At the center of the prayer platform stands a Han white jade-carved Bagua (Eight Trigrams) diagram. The main hall houses five colorful clay statues of dragon gods, with the central yellow dragon symbolizing the Yellow Emperor, ancestor of the Chinese nation, flanked by blue, red, white, and black dragons. The gathering of the five dragons represents the theme of "Five Dragons Discussing Governance."

Longchi Ice and Snow Festival

The Ice and Snow Festival began in late 1995 and is one of the major festivals in Dujiangyan City. Held from December each year to March of the following year, spanning three months and covering Christmas, New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, and International Women’s Day, the festival features a variety of activities including skiing, ice-skating, ice sculptures, snow sculptures, and sledding.

Transportation Direct buses to Longchi are available from Chengdu North Passenger Transport Center, Chadianzi Passenger Station, and Xinnanmen Bus Station.

Address: Longxi Township, Dujiangyan City, Chengdu

Type: Forest mountain

Recommended visiting time: 2–4 hours

Opening hours:

Open all day (staff may be stationed at the entrance; opening times are subject to their arrangement)

Ticket information:

Free admission.