Chifeng Botanical Garden

Chifeng Botanical Garden

Chifeng Botanical Garden is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Chifeng Botanical Garden is situated at the foot of Hongshan Mountain in the eastern suburbs of Chifeng, covering an area of 400 acres. It is a northern botanical wonderland that combines scientific research, science education, popular science tourism, and recreation. The garden was originally a tree nursery. In 1987, under the guidance of the municipal and district forestry authorities, it officially began introducing and cultivating plants. In 1998, experts from the School of Landscape Architecture at Beijing Forestry University redesigned the tree nursery into a botanical garden, which officially opened to the public on May 28, 1999. Chifeng Botanical Garden is a northern botanical wonderland that integrates scientific research, science education, popular science, and recreation. The garden's predecessor was a suburban forest tree nursery, whose primary function was to introduce and acclimate new tree species suitable for local landscaping and afforestation of barren hills, providing a scientific basis for selecting tree species for local greening and reforestation projects. It also served as a training base for scientific research, science education, and popular science, thereby changing the previously limited variety of tree species used in the region’s landscaping and barren hill afforestation efforts.

The botanical garden covers an area of 400 acres. After nearly ten years of development, it now hosts 245 species of plants from 94 genera and 44 families, along with over 200 varieties of flowers and potted plants, bringing the total number of plant species to more than 500. It has truly become a botanical showcase for China’s semi-arid northern regions. Over the years, Chifeng Botanical Garden has not only provided the local residents with a diverse and comprehensive plant ecological park, but has also introduced a variety of large-scale amusement facilities such as roller coasters, bumper cars, Ferris wheels, pirate ships, and bungee jumping. New recreational venues including a water park, a garden of tranquility, and a racetrack have been built, with some areas open to the public free of charge. In just a few short years, the botanical garden has become a widely renowned tourist destination that combines leisure, entertainment, and sightseeing. It allows visitors to enjoy their time while learning about, appreciating, and ultimately cherishing, utilizing, and protecting nature.

Chifeng Botanical Garden has been designated as an Environmental Education Base by the Hongshan District Environmental Protection Bureau. Recently, it has also been approved by the relevant higher authorities to establish the first “Wildlife Rescue Center” in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, providing a safe haven for wild animals. The botanical garden receives over 600,000 domestic and international visitors annually and generates an annual revenue of more than 2.5 million yuan. Centered around the botanical garden, it boasts a rich and comprehensive variety of trees. This is because its predecessor was the Chifeng Hongshan District Suburban Forest Tree Nursery. The main function of the tree nursery was to introduce and acclimate tree species suited for the semi-arid northern regions and surrounding areas, aiming to diversify the species used in the region’s barren hill afforestation. Since its establishment, the tree nursery has introduced 245 species from 92 genera and 44 families of high-quality tree species from Hebei, Liaoning, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Xinjiang, and other regions. Since its opening, the botanical garden has hosted national leaders such as Buhe. The establishment of the botanical garden has also spurred the growth of related industries, created new job opportunities, and achieved significant ecological, social, and economic benefits.