Red Leaf Scenic Area

　　　　The Red Leaf Scenic Area is situated along the northern section of Laohuaishu Ridge to Duohuo Ridge, about 20 kilometers south of Lingchuan County, and is the county’s largest red leaf zone. The scenic area stretches around 20 kilometers from north to south and roughly 10 kilometers from east to west. It features towering mountains, deep valleys, and dense vegetation. Major tree species include oak, beech, Quercus variabilis, Chinese white pine, Chinese pine, cork oak, oriental arborvitae, locust, elm, and poplar. There is also a rich variety of shrubs, with widespread types including smoke tree, mountain elm, dwarf rhododendron, wild rose, sea buckthorn, forsythia, wild peach, hazelnut, mountain locust, and kudzu, among dozens of others. In spring and summer, the lush greenery and diverse plants blanket the 200-square-kilometer mountainous region like a green carpet. When autumn arrives, the area transforms into a magnificent, colorful world—forests ablaze with vibrant hues. The county’s Red Leaf Festival was designated by the China National Tourism Administration in 1999 as one of thirty ecological tourism festivals on par with Beijing’s Fragrant Hills Red Leaves.