Gengyun Buddhist Kingdom Cultural Tourism Area

　　The Gengyun Buddhist Kingdom Cultural Tourism Area (i.e., Kaihua County Gengbo Garden) is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, covering an area of 3.03 square kilometers. It is located at the source of the Qiantang River—in Kaihua County—and was invested in and developed by Quzhou Zuigen Arts & Crafts Co., Ltd., with master artisan Xu Guqing personally crafting the site.

　　"Pangu created heaven and earth—water flows from its source, trees grow from their roots." Amid the lush forests and murmuring streams of the Qianjiang River Source lies a magical, picturesque, and uniquely scenic wonderland—the China Root Carving Expo Garden.

　　Its founder is Xu Guqing, renowned both domestically and internationally, honored by UNESCO and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles as a "First-Class Folk Arts and Crafts Artist." His works are natural, rustic, and grand, filled with deep passion and strong individuality. Majestic and profound, their resonance lingers like music, reminiscent of delicate works from Taihu Lake and echoing the legacy of Shi Tao. The massive root-carved Buddha statue "Future Buddha," nominated by the esteemed Chinese writer Bing Xin, is grand and otherworldly, causing a sensation throughout the art world. It was eventually acquired by a foreign company for over 600,000 RMB.

　　The China Root Carving Expo Garden mainly includes: the Giant Five Hundred Arhats Garden, the Giant Deadwood and Famous Trees Garden, the Bonsai and Rare Plants Garden, the Root Carving Museum, the Xu Guqing Root Art Fine Arts Exhibition Hall, the Arts and Crafts Sales Hall, and a Local Specialty Collection Center.

　　The Five Hundred Arhats are carved from large deadwood tree roots of various ages sourced nationwide. Naturally formed and on an unprecedented scale, they stand out uniquely. The largest piece stands 9 meters tall and weighs 7 tons, while the smallest weighs over 1 ton. With extraordinary presence and transcendent craftsmanship, they are set to apply for a Guinness World Record. In the garden, some arhats sit with eyes closed in meditation, others smile gently with heads bowed, some bare their chests and bellies, and others bear the marks of time... Each expression is vivid and lifelike. Stepping into this garden is like floating through a Buddhist paradise. One can listen to the legendary tales of each arhat while also receiving a spiritual cleansing. It is an unprecedented collection of Buddhist root carvings.

　　The Bonsai Garden houses over 3,000 bonsai, primarily cultivated from peculiar century-old tree stumps, displaying diverse forms and breathtaking scenes. "One peak evokes the majesty of Mount Hua; one spoonful suggests vast rivers and lakes." Bonsai embody vastness within small spaces and are hailed as vibrant treasures in the art world—praised as "poetry without words, three-dimensional paintings, living reliefs." The uniquely elegant bonsai offer another kind of refined pleasure. The garden also features over 200 species of rare plants (including nationally protected and regionally unique varieties), interspersed throughout. Within this garden, the “ancient trees” are lush and green, with the fresh scent of nature wafting through the air. Sprouts of new green emerge from old, dead stumps, brimming with spring vitality. It’s a place of endless charm and wild beauty.

　　The Giant Deadwood and Famous Trees Garden showcases and promotes knowledge about ecological environmental protection through the form of a commemorative park for ancient and famous trees. The artworks are novel and grand, all made from thousand-year-old submerged wood and dead or decaying famous trees and roots. Through the master’s touch, decay is transformed into magic, preserving them for eternity. Entering this garden feels like passing through a tunnel of time, stepping into an era of ancient vicissitudes. You can truly feel the inner vitality and majestic force of thousand-year-old roots. Each piece comes with illustrated “historical archives” that speak for themselves, warning society and serving as a vivid and legendary natural ecology textbook.

　　The Root Carving Museum is an exhibition park that gathers root carving works by historical masters from ancient to modern times, both in China and abroad, as well as contemporary root art experts. It encompasses root carving culture, plant culture, and exquisite root carving works from different periods across various regions. It also houses the Root Art Historical Development Research Committee under the Zhejiang Province Root Art Association. It has become an important educational base for protecting and promoting China’s traditional folk root carving culture and arts.

　　The Xu Guqing Root Art Fine Arts Exhibition Hall displays his finest masterpieces from throughout his artistic career. Stepping into this hall is like entering an ancient civilized world or a wondrous realm of nature. It can cultivate your temperament and stir your imagination. Its unique cultural essence is unmatched by any other natural landscape.

　　The Arts and Crafts Sales Hall gathers a variety of exquisitely crafted and charming handicrafts as well as local specialties from around the Qianjiang River Source. It is your ideal shopping destination. Here, you can admire, appreciate, and choose a favorite item. Additionally, the park has set up a root art workshop where visitors can experience the joy of being an “artisan” and even take their own creations home—an endlessly delightful experience.

　　The China Root Carving Expo Garden is a gathering place for Chinese root carving art, a marvelous and exceptional natural ecology textbook, and a dazzling pearl at the source of the Qiantang River. It has become the professional root carving market of Kaihua County, the hometown of Chinese root carving art.

　　Looking at the garden from afar, it resembles a giant treasure bowl, holding the traditional historical culture of China and radiating the poetic greenery of natural ecology. A 30-meter-tall root sculpture—the God of Longevity—stands tall amidst a sea of green, like a kind and mystical elder, warmly welcoming visitors from afar. Approaching the statue, you’ll find the “Ten Thousand Longevity Stone Carvings” gathered at its feet, featuring works by masters worldwide. Along the serene Qianjiang River Source, surrounded by beautiful mountains and clear waters, the land is blessed with remarkable people. Generations have lived and thrived here. Beyond the aforementioned gardens and halls, the park also features artificial landscapes, leisure pavilions, teahouses, and a five-kilometer-long walking trail that connects everything. All facilities are complete, services are well provided, allowing visitors to fully enjoy their exploration.

　　Zuigen Artworks—where man and nature become one. The China Root Carving Expo Garden sincerely welcomes every guest to come for leisure, vacation, and sightseeing.

　　Address: No. 88, Qinnan Road, Kaihua County Town. Contact Number: 6162692. Ticket Price: 120 RMB.