The Zhangdong Forest Sea

Zhangdong – Located 40 kilometers east of the county, this area features undulating mountains, rolling mists, layered green peaks, and forests as vast as the sea. Covering an area of 7,870 hectares, its core zone is filled with primeval forests that block out the sky and stretch endlessly. The region is home to 1,642 species of higher plants, with several new species and varieties discovered in recent years. Among them, the Michelia odora, Bretschneidera sinensis, and Eurycorymbus cavaleriei, along with wild tea trees, are listed as second-class nationally protected plants. The area also hosts over 30 types of rare animals such as the South China tiger, clouded leopard, turtle dove, and yellow-billed tragopan, as well as 25 species of amphibians. In 1985, the county designated it as a nature reserve. Professor Xu Yanqian from South China Agricultural University called it a “treasure trove of species and the pearl of Lingnan.” In 1989, it was approved by the State Council as a national nature reserve.