Wulanchabu Tiger Mountain Park

Wulanchabu Tiger Mountain Park

Tiger Mountain Ecological Park is situated in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and was built in 1980. Following its completion, the park gained fame for its cultural heritage and landscaped scenery, becoming a well-known scenic spot in Ulanqab, celebrated both within the autonomous region and beyond. It functions not just as a recreational area for locals, but also as a picturesque destination for visitors. To meet the demands of urban development and tourism growth, Ulanqab has invested in the renovation and construction of both Tiger Mountain Ecological Park and Baiquan Mountain Ecological Park.

The renovated Tiger Mountain and Baiquan Mountain parks cover a combined area of 536.8 hectares. With a total investment of over 56 million yuan during the construction phase, they have been developed into comprehensive parks integrating culture, leisure, and entertainment.

The new Tiger Mountain Park is divided into nine main zones: the Gate Waterfall Zone, Monument Zone, Botanical Garden Zone, Tiger Stone Zone, Tiger Mountain Amusement Zone, Zhao Family Courtyard, Old Pool Zone, General Feng Forest, and Old City Ruins. The Gate Waterfall Zone features a large rock waterfall landscape, where water cascades down from a 20-meter height, forming a spectacular waterfall. The Monument Square is a shaded plaza planted with large trees such as Mongolian pines and Chinese pines. The Botanical Garden Zone includes seven scenic areas arranged around the Monument Plaza, representing the four seasons: Tiger Mountain in Bloom, Spring Flowers in Competition, Autumn Colors of Tiger Mountain, Winter Pine Trees and Snow, as well as Peach Blossom Garden, Fragrant Flower Garden, and Love Tree Garden, all dedicated to commemorating and honoring the martyrs. The area around Tiger Stone has been enhanced with artificial rock formations, while Tiger Cave has been restored to its original state. In front of the cave, there is a Memorial Hall for the Battle of He Long and a sculpture plaza. On the open land south of Tiger Mountain, a courtyard named Zhao Family Courtyard has been built. At the entrance of the courtyard, a stele records historical events such as the establishment of the Zhao Family Courtyard in 1898 and the founding of Jining in 1931. Adjacent to the Zhao Family Courtyard is the Tiger Mountain Amusement Park, located near the southwest gate of Tiger Mountain Park and close to residential areas, making it convenient for nearby residents to visit. Together with the Zhao Family Courtyard, it forms an integrated tourism system offering food and entertainment. On a small hill opposite the southern side of Tiger Mountain lies Dragon Pool, which features a dragon-spouting-water sculpture fountain. Water from the pool flows in a stream from south to north, following the natural slope and passing through the Zhao Family Courtyard before reaching another pool near the botanical garden zone, nourishing the seasonal landscapes of Tiger Mountain.

Tiger Mountain is located in the southern suburbs of Bengbu City, stretching approximately one kilometer from east to west and about three kilometers from north to south. Its official name on maps is Tao Mountain, but locals commonly refer to it as Tiger Mountain, possibly because of its shape resembling a crouching tiger. To the north at the mountain’s base lies Donghai Avenue, which extends over twenty kilometers from east to west, serving as a major thoroughfare in Bengbu. Sponsored by Bengbu Cigarette Factory, the avenue is named Donghai (East Sea), which is also the name of a long-standing cigarette brand produced by the factory. Bengbu’s urban layout resembles a “concave” character, with Donghai Avenue connecting the city from east to west at the top (southern) part of this concave shape, while Tiger Mountain is situated slightly below the midpoint (south) of the concave form.

The indented area in the middle of Bengbu’s “concave” shape is a prime piece of land occupied by Bengbu Air Force Base. Due to the airfield taking up the largest area in the city center, and with an airport to the south and the Huai River to the north, Bengbu had no choice but to expand eastward and westward. In 2002, the airfield was relocated, freeing up this large central area for new urban development. Tiger Mountain is located just south of the former airfield, facing it across Donghai Avenue. Viewed from north to south, the sequence is: Huai River, downtown area, airfield, Donghai Avenue, and Tiger Mountain.

Tiger Mountain was not originally called Tiger Mountain but was formerly known as Duerlong Mountain (Single-Ear Dragon Mountain). Legend has it that a single-eared dragon from the Huai River saw a demonic spider causing harm to villagers west of Xujia Bridge. The dragon emerged from the water to capture the spider, then transformed into this mountain.

To the southeast of Tiger Mountain lies a ridge extending northward from Chenliangjia, called East Dragon Claw. To the southwest of the mountain is another ridge, bending south then east from Taodian, known as West Dragon Claw. Between the two claws, in a small valley, there is a slightly raised oval flat area called Dragon Tongue. On the western side of the mountain’s summit, there is a cave facing south, shaped like an ear or an open tiger’s mouth, which can accommodate several people. This cave is called Dragon Ear Cave. Looking down from the peak of Yanshan Mountain, the shapes of Tiger Mountain and Wangxiaoshan Mountain (also called Lai Mountain) vividly resemble a dragon reaching out to catch a spider. Hence, in earlier times, locals referred to it as Duerlong Mountain (Single-Ear Dragon Mountain).

During the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, to please Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, local officials spread rumors and submitted a petition to the imperial court, claiming that the dragon was not catching a spider but actually threatening the imperial mausoleum (the Ming tombs in the southern part of Fengyang). The emperor issued an edict: a temple was to be built on Dragon Tongue. Initially named Jingci Temple, it was later renamed Hushan Temple to suppress the dragon. The mountain was also renamed from Duerlong Mountain to Tiger Mountain, and Dragon Ear Cave was renamed Tiger Cave.