Tianshan Shenmu Garden

Tianshan Shenmu Garden

Tianshan Shenmu Garden is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Tianshan Shenmu Garden is located 60 kilometers northwest of Wensu County, at an altitude of 1,700 meters, covering an area of over 600 acres. Known as the "Pearl of the Gobi," the garden features towering ancient trees with peculiar shapes, blending beauty and mystery. Scenic spots throughout the hills include "Nine Dragons Stirring the Sea," "Reviving Willow," and "Happy Meadow." At the top of the park lies the "Sacred Spring," and visitors are left in awe and admiration.

A national 4A-level scenic spot, autonomous region forest park, autonomous region scenic area, and autonomous region cultural relics protection unit. It is situated on the southern foothills of the central Tianshan Mountain range in western Wensu County, Xinjiang. Accessible 74 kilometers west of Aksu City via National Highway 314 (or by flight), and 62 kilometers from Wensu County. It is an oasis-style primeval forest. In the 1980s, protective fencing was built, along with gravel walking paths, pavilions, a main gate, and dining spots, offering visitors a place to relax, enjoy the cool, and admire millennia-old trees and other unique vegetation. Opened to the public in 1985.

Covering an area of over 700 acres and situated at an altitude of more than 1,700 meters in a desert region, the plants in Tianshan Shenmu Garden rely on over ten springs at higher elevations for survival. The barren land on the northeastern edge of the garden is an ancient burial site for Islamic missionaries, earning it the titles "Pocket Forest" and "Ancient Tree Museum." Geological research indicates that due to the continuous uplift of the Tianshan Mountains and the fracturing of the southern mountain block, underground water from the Tianshan Mountains surfaces here, eventually forming this scenic area with a concentration of ancient trees. The garden is home to hundreds of ancient trees over a thousand years old, featuring rare species and bizarre shapes. Some earthen structures in the style of Islamic architecture still remain, creating a unique landscape where ecology, culture, and geology blend. The renowned painter Zhang Ding composed the prose poem "Ode to the Giant Trees" for Tianshan Shenmu Garden: "Think of the giant trees nourished by the essence of sun and moon, infused with the vital energy of heaven and earth. Driven by the needs of life, they stand unyielding—some reviving after death, others sprouting new branches. Amidst wind and thunder, seas turning to mulberry fields, one reflects on the vastness of time and space—truly a rare treasure of the Chinese land and a symbol of the national spirit." Since opening to the public, Tianshan Shenmu Garden has developed visitor leisure areas, dining zones, sightseeing sections, and hiking trails. Since 1999, the garden has developed a hiking and sightseeing sub-project, the Cascading Waterfall Gorge, located 4 kilometers east of the main scenic area. The Cascading Waterfall Gorge sits at an altitude of 1,857 meters and features numerous waterfalls at varying heights, primarily fed by a group of springs in the highland grasslands above the hills, which flow year-round. Due to tectonic movements causing uplift and subsidence of strata, steep slopes and canyons have formed, giving rise to the waterfalls. The falls are divided into nine levels with varying drops, the highest reaching 25 meters. The waterfall scenery changes with the seasons and varies between day and night. In summer and autumn, when floods are frequent and water volume is highest, the water layers thicken and turn yellowish and turbid. The water cascades down the cliffs, smashing like gold and jade, creating a spectacularly majestic sight. In winter and spring, water volume decreases, the flow becomes clear, and the falls take on a uniquely graceful and delicate charm.

Major attractions in Tianshan Shenmu Garden include more than 30 sites such as the Mandarin Duck Ancient Trees, Sacred Flowing Fragrance, Millennium Sacred Spring, Reclining Dragon Willow, Horse Head Tree, Gateway to Heaven, Root-Seeking Ancestry, Reviving Willow, Deer Horn Strange Tree, Rootless Tree, Whirlwind Willow, Millennium Shenmu, Nine Dragons Stirring the Sea, Frog and Crocodile Glance Back, Giant Elephant Roars to the Sky, and Century-old Scripture Hall. Mandarin Duck Ancient Trees: Formed by the merged growth of a Xinjiang poplar and an apricot tree, both around 1,100 years old. The ancient apricot tree wraps around the midsection of the Xinjiang poplar trunk, resembling an eternal couple inseparable through the ages. Millennium Sacred Spring: Located at a high point in the northern part of the scenic area, surrounded by ancient trees, shrubs, and weeds, it is the most abundant spring in the park, with a stable flow and sweet-tasting water. Millennium Shenmu: Located on the sloped area in the central part of the scenic area, five massive ancient Xinjiang poplar trees have lain fallen for many years, revealing smooth woody branches. The middle section of the trunks features five uniquely intertwined and fused branches—an extremely rare phenomenon in the growth of Xinjiang poplars.

Phone: 0997-4498058