Hengshan National Forest Park

　　Hengshan National Forest Park, a national-level forest park, is located 1.5 kilometers west of Guangde City. Leveraging its location advantages as a suburban park, it features cultural attractions centered around the Temple Mountain culture, scenic spots primarily for forest tourism and leisure, a bamboo science and technology park, a bamboo species garden, as well as entertainment and accommodation services. It has gradually become a renowned scenic area in southeastern Anhui.

　　Hengshan National Forest Park is home to historical and cultural relics centered around the Temple Mountain culture. The main peak of the park, Mount Hengshan, is a famous mountain with a long cultural history in the Jiangnan region. It was once bestowed the title “The Most Sacred Mountain Under Heaven” by Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang. The Temple Mountain culture extends across thousands of miles in the Jiangnan area, and the Temple Mountain Emperor Temple in Guangde has been recommended as the “Ancestral Temple of Temple Mountain,” also known as “The Most Prosperous Incense Site Under Heaven.” It is the soul of Hengshan National Forest Park.

　　The planned area of Hengshan National Forest Park covers 1,000 hectares, with the core functional zone spanning 335 hectares. Comprehensive development projects include: cultural attractions centered on the Temple Mountain culture, such as the Tomb of Zhang Bo (Zhang Bo being the Temple Mountain Emperor), the Tablet Pavilion at the Site Where Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty Camped, the Stone Archway Inscribed “The Most Sacred Mountain Under Heaven,” the Yuewang Temple (Temple of Yue Fei), the Fan Zhongyan Tablet Pavilion, the Lidou Platform (Zhang Bo’s Prayer Platform), the Temple Mountain Culture Stele Corridor, the Rhino Watching the Moon Pavilion, and the Tianmeng Pavilion; forest tourism and leisure scenic areas, including the Bamboo Science and Technology Park, the Bamboo Species Garden, the Forestry Ecological Sightseeing Park, and the Forest Bathing Area; and key entertainment and service facilities such as a water amusement park, park hotel, bath center, reception center, fishing center, and the Hengshan Cableway.

　　Although not very high, Mount Hengshan boasts beautiful scenery. Since ancient times, it has been not only a place for literati to roam and compose poetry, but also an ideal spot for urban residents to go for spring outings during the Qingming Festival and to climb during the Double Ninth Festival. The park is rich in plant diversity, with over a hundred species of woody plants alone, many of which are rare and protected species or special economic tree species at the national level. The mountains are covered with lush bamboo groves, verdant phoenix-tail-like foliage, and tall, elegant pines, creating a picturesque landscape. Also known as Cisi Mountain, Mount Hengshan gained fame due to the historical water-control hero Zhang Bo, who is said to be buried here. Historical emperors have conferred multiple imperial honors upon the mountain, and it has long been a site of thriving incense worship. Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty referred to Mount Hengshan as “The Most Sacred Mountain Under Heaven.” For thousands of years, numerous poets and scholars have composed verses in praise of the mountain, leaving behind a wealth of literary works that have established Mount Hengshan as a historically and culturally significant mountain in the Jiangnan region.

　　The mountaintop also features scenic spots such as the Lidou Platform and the Panluo Pavilion, unfortunately destroyed in successive wars. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, extensive afforestation efforts were undertaken, and now the mountain is covered with dense, lush pine forests. In the early 1990s, it was designated as a national-level forest park by the state.

　　Historically one of the Ten Scenic Spots of Guangde, climbing Mount Hengshan today offers a different kind of view. Lush fields spread out as far as the eye can see, rivers and canals wind like ribbons, ancient pagodas stand majestically, and new buildings are scattered across the landscape. The renewed charm of the ancient city unfolds in its entirety.

　　After years of development, the current Hengshan National Forest Park is primarily characterized by its forest landscape. It has been developed into a suburban forest park featuring the Temple Mountain culture and bamboo culture as its main highlights, integrating urban entertainment, leisure, vacation, and shopping. The Temple Mountain Emperor Temple, the Bamboo Exquisite Garden, and Hengshan Reservoir are distributed throughout the park. With its beautiful mountains and clear waters, as well as its simple and elegant charm, it attracts visitors from all directions and leaves them lingering with delight. Following further project development, it will gradually evolve into a scenic area that combines cultural, forest, and natural landscapes with leisure and entertainment.