Dafu Mountain Forest Park

Dafu Mountain Forest Park

Dafu Mountain Forest Park is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Dafu Mountain Forest Park is located 3 kilometers west of Shiqiao urban area, spanning both Shiqiao and Zhongcun towns, bordering Country Garden in Shunde to the west and Kifudistrict to the north. The park covers an area of approximately 8,700 acres. The terrain features rolling hills and gullies, with a total of nine large and small peaks. The main peak, Dafu Mountain, stands at an elevation of 226.6 meters, making it the second-highest mountain in Panyu District after Huangshanlu in Nansha. There are also numerous ponds and lakes with a water surface area of 1,500 acres, 6,000 acres of forest, and 1,200 acres of slopes. This area was originally a forest farm owned by towns and villages, featuring structures such as chicken sheds, duck pens, pigsties, and fishponds, where hundreds of farming households cultivated crops and raised livestock.

Dafu Mountain

In 1996, in an effort to establish an outstanding tourism city, the Panyu Municipal Committee and government decided to plan and construct Dafu Mountain Forest Park to high standards. The goal was to protect the natural ecology and cultural landscapes, transforming Dafu Mountain into a tourist destination integrating sightseeing, leisure, entertainment, cultural and sports activities, and resource conservation—providing the public with a great recreational spot. After Panyu was restructured into a district directly under Guangzhou, the local district government included the park’s construction as one of the ten key projects for building a civilized city and listed it among the “Three-Year Medium-Term Transformation” projects, prioritizing it as a flagship public welfare initiative. Experts from the Guangzhou Municipal Gardens and Forestry Bureau were hired to create the master plan. The overall plan was to build an ecological forest park centered around forests, emphasizing optimized ecological environments, protection of natural resources, scientific utilization, moderate development, and highlighting forest characteristics. It would make full use of natural resources such as forests and waterscapes, supplemented with cultural and natural landscapes and amusement facilities, to create a forest park with local features. The master plan designated the entire park to be developed into eight functional zones.

The initial master plan was completed in July 1997, and construction began. The first phase mainly developed the southern section, centered around Juxiu Lake as the scenic lake and floral viewing area. This zone spans about 2,000 acres and includes major attractions such as Juxiu Lake, Fengshan Lake, Peninsula Viewing Platform, Hundred Flowers Garden, and Secluded Forest Path. After two years of intensive construction, the first phase was completed on August 1, 1999, and opened to the public. The second phase began in May 2002, focusing on the northern section of the park, which is roughly the same size as the southern section. Key attractions include Cuijing Lake, Yunxiu Lake, Qingyun Lake, and a large plaza at the northern park entrance facing the new urban area of Zhongcun Town. The construction costs of Dafu Mountain Forest Park were covered by the local government, which allocated 20 million yuan annually. By the end of 2002, a total of 130 million yuan had been invested in the park’s development (excluding land acquisition).

With the development of Dafu Mountain Forest Park, visitors are greeted by lush green trees, blue skies, shimmering waters, shaded tree-lined paths, verdant lawns, and the fragrance of flowers and birds—a scene full of nature’s vitality. Entering from the south gate, the picturesque lakes and mountains instantly captivate and inspire awe. Four artificial lakes—Juxiu Lake, Fengshan Lake, Hongshan Lake, and Zhushan Lake—are nestled among the hills like sparkling mirrors, creating a harmonious ecological tableau of mountains and waters. These radiant mirrors enhance the beauty and charm of Dafu Mountain. The largest, Juxiu Lake, covers approximately 300 acres, with vast waters glittering in the sunlight. The lakeside features a peninsula viewing platform, the “Drinking Green Residence,” and a boating dock. There are also two small islands in the lake connected to the shore by a lake pavilion and a long bridge, making them favorite spots for rest, photography, leisure tea drinking, boating, and fishing. The eastern shore of the lake is complemented by the Hundred Flowers Garden and the Guohegang Corridor, providing scenic contrast. The twin pavilions on the Hundred Flowers Garden echo Juxiu Lake from afar, balancing movement and stillness to offer boundless aesthetic pleasure.

In the Hongshan scenic area stands the Hongshan Stockade architectural complex, which from a distance resembles Thai-style architecture and evokes the charm of Yunnan village houses. This ensemble includes a leisure plaza, platforms, viewing decks, corridors, and more. Standing within it, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the southern section of the park, making it an ideal spot for sightseeing. The small structure of Fengshan Tea House, with its gray-tiled roof, is built in the middle of Fengshan Lake, surrounded by water on all sides and enclosed by a bamboo-fenced garden. It is connected to the shore by a small arched bridge and stone-paved paths, showcasing a distinctive Japanese garden architectural style. Other completed park facilities include barbecue areas, fishing zones, kite flying fields, and amusement parks for both children and adults. Hiking stone stairways have also been built on the mountains, supplemented with stone tables, benches, and rain shelters for visitors to rest, hike, and enjoy leisure activities.

The original forest on Dafu Mountain was primarily composed of timber trees with a relatively uniform tree cover. To reflect Lingnan garden landscaping and subtropical charm, over the years, the park has introduced a large number of medium to large-sized, relatively precious flowering and foliage trees during forest transformation efforts, such as Bauhinia variegata, Hong Kong Orchid Tree, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Golden Rain Tree, Erythrina variegata, Cinnamomum burmannii, and Acer rubrum. These are complemented by a variety of shrubs, including Rhododendron simsii, Bougainvillea, Melastoma candidum, and Lagerstroemia indica, to enrich the mountain’s color palette. According to statistics, over recent years, more than 100 tree species have been introduced, including more than 10 rare and precious varieties, along with nearly 50 types of flowers. With the planting of exotic flowers and trees, Dafu Mountain has become a veritable botanical wonderland. Due to the improved ecological environment, the variety and number of bird species have significantly increased, with rarely seen wild ducks and pheasants frequently spotted. Covering nearly 500 hectares of forest, Dafu Mountain is scientifically documented to release 2.025 tons of oxygen per hectare annually and trap 0.65 tons of dust when canopy density exceeds 0.8. Based on this, the existing woodland releases 960.36 tons of oxygen annually, earning the park the reputation as the “lung” and a “natural oxygen bar” of the central urban area of Shiqiao.

The completion of Dafu Mountain Forest Park has provided residents with a great place for leisure and recreation, becoming a new tourist attraction in Panyu District. It has been praised as yet another gem among Guangzhou’s eco-forest parks. In recent years, the park has attracted 2,000–3,000 morning exercisers daily, thousands of visitors daily, nearly 10,000 on weekends, and even tens of thousands during holidays. Annual visitor numbers exceed 1.5 million. The park benefits both current and future generations and has received widespread praise from the public.

Historical Origins

Dafu Mountain was formerly known as Dawu Hill but was renamed to commemorate Lu Jia, an important minister of the early Western Han Dynasty. At the time, various warlords in Central China were engaged in fierce battles for supremacy. Zhao Tuo, a leader of the Yue people, took the opportunity to proclaim himself the King of Nanyue in Panyu (present-day Guangdong and Guangxi). After Emperor Gaozu unified China, he chose not to wage war against Zhao Tuo and instead sent the scholar Lu Jia to persuade him to submit to the Han Dynasty. With his eloquence, Lu Jia convinced Zhao Tuo, who was then appointed as the King of Nanyue by the Han court. For his achievement, Lu Jia was ennobled as Shang Daifu (Senior Minister). After Emperor Gaozu’s death, Empress Lü, influenced by certain officials’ prejudices, regarded the Lingnan region as barbaric and discriminated against it. Zhao Tuo, resentful of the court, declared himself the Emperor of Nanyue once again. Later, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Xiaowen sent Lu Jia to the south once more, successfully persuading Zhao Tuo to submit to the Han court again. Over 17 years, Lu Jia traveled twice from Central China to Nanyue in Panyu, playing a crucial role in unifying the nation. This historical anecdote became widely celebrated in the Southern Yue region, and detailed sculptures of the event can be found at the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in Guangzhou. Structures such as Dafu Pavilion and Dafu Academy were also built on Dafu Mountain.

There are two accounts for why Dawu Hill was renamed Dafu Mountain by the Nanyue people. One says that Lu Jia was buried here, though no historical records confirm this. The other says that during his mission to persuade Zhao Tuo, Lu Jia passed through this area. On one occasion, when he and his horse were thirsty, the desperate horse stomped the ground with its hoof, revealing a freshwater spring. The locals then renamed Dawu Hill as Dafu Mountain and called the spring “Drinking Horse Spring.”

Address: No. 668 Yu Shan West Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou City

Type: Forest & Lake

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–3 hours

Phone: 020-84801183

Opening Hours:

8:00-18:00

Ticket Information:

Free admission.

Transportation

Public Transport:

1. Take Panyu Bus Routes 16 or 9 and get off at “Dafu Mountain Forest Park Terminal.”

2. Take Panyu Bus Routes 108B, 129, 4B, 9 Long Line, or Guang-Panyu 108 and get off at “Dafu Mountain Forest Park Intersection.”

Lu Jia (circa 240–170 BCE) was a thinker and statesman of the early Han Dynasty from the Chu region. He served under Liu Bang, was known for his exceptional oratory skills, and often served as an envoy to vassal states.

In the 11th year of Emperor Gaozu’s reign, Lu Jia was dispatched by Emperor Liu Bang to Nanyue to persuade King Zhao Tuo to submit to Han authority, after which he was appointed as Grand Master of Ceremonies.

During the reign of Emperor Hui, when Empress Lü held power, Lu Jia retired due to illness. However, during her rule, the Right Chancellor Chen Ping adopted Lu Jia’s strategy to ally with Grand Commandant Zhou Bo to counter Lü clan’s influence, which later helped overthrow the Lüs and establish Emperor Wen. Lu Jia played a significant role in these events.

In the first year of Emperor Wen’s reign, Lu Jia was again appointed as Grand Master of Ceremonies and sent to Nanyue to persuade Zhao Tuo... [Lu Jia Detailed Information++]

Zhao Tuo (d. 137 BC) was a renowned patriotic general during the Qin and Han dynasties, hailing from Zhending (now Zhengding). He was the earliest Qin dynasty general in Chinese history to establish governance over Hong Kong, Macau, and the Lingnan region, making outstanding contributions to maintaining unity and harmony among ethnic minority areas.

After unifying the Central Plains, Qin Shi Huang embarked on the grand mission of building a unified multi-ethnic China, with the "Baiyue lands" of the Lingnan region as his primary military target. In 218 BC, he dispatched the generals Tu Sui and Zhao Tuo with an army of 500,000 to invade the Lingnan area. Due to Tu Sui’s indiscriminate killings, which caused... Zhao Tuo details ++