On the morning of September 20, 2014, the 9th (Tianqiaogou) Maple Leaf Culture Festival of Liaoning, China, was grandly inaugurated. It was jointly organized by the Liaoning Provincial Tourism Bureau, the Dandong Municipal Government, the Kuandian County Government, and the Kuandian County Tourism Bureau, and hosted by Tianqiaogou Forest Park. Leaders from the provincial, municipal, and county levels, media press groups, outdoor associations, travel industry guests, and tourists gathered at Tianqiaogou Forest Park to enjoy the beauty of autumn among the sea of maple leaves and savor a sumptuous feast of Tianqiaogou’s natural scenery.
As a “sumptuous feast” themed around maple leaves, during the Maple Leaf Culture Festival, Tianqiaogou Forest Park arranged not only activities such as hiking to admire the maple leaves, maple leaf photography competitions, and the Tianqiaogou Maple Scenery Exhibition, but also featured Korean ethnic performances, Kuandian specialty exhibitions and sales, and the Kuandian Food Festival, fully catering to the diverse needs of attendees. In addition, Tianqiaogou set up five optimal maple leaf viewing platforms for guests to enjoy the scenery and take photos, showcasing the park’s thoughtful service and dedication to sharing its natural beauty.
When nature meets art, and photographers unite with the beautiful scenery of maple leaves, the Tianqiaogou Maple Leaf Culture Festival presents a magnificent feast of the most stunning maple views. As attendees admire the maple leaf scenery captured by photographers, they gain a deeper appreciation for the vibrant and enchanting natural “maple” landscapes of Tianqiaogou.
This kind of “maple” scenery can be the pristine natural landscape described as “beautiful trees, crimson leaves, gorgeous, and passionate.” When staff members of Tianqiaogou Forest Park proudly introduce to visitors: “We are one of the best spots to view maple leaves. Once you come to Tianqiaogou, you’ll see just how beautiful our maple leaves are.”
This kind of “maple” scenery can also be the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. The American-style villas built along the mountain slopes are backed by lush forests and mountains, face the crystal-clear Tian Tan Lake, and overlook the undulating terrain of the mountain golf course in the distance. Deep within the forest also grows the king of the “Three Treasures of Northeast China”—wild ginseng, a plant with demanding habitat requirements that has chosen to thrive generation after generation in Tianqiaogou, fully demonstrating the area’s excellent mountains, beautiful waters, and outstanding people.
In addition, Tianqiaogou is a national AAAA-level scenic tourist area and has been awarded honors such as “National Five-Star Demonstration Site for Leisure Agriculture and Rural Tourism,” “Top Ten Tourist Satisfaction Scenic Spots of the 18th Asian Golden Travel Awards,” and “Top Ten Leisure Farms” in national leisure agriculture and rural tourism. After several years of comprehensive renovation and in-depth development, the infrastructure, reception capacity, and services within the Tianqiaogou scenic area have all matured, providing the best scenic routes and highest-quality services for travel enthusiasts who come to admire the maple leaves.
The 9th Tianqiaogou Maple Leaf Culture Festival has concluded, but it has passed on its beautiful scenery to more people, encouraging them to discover and get closer to nature, and to face work and life with a healthier and more open-minded attitude. This is also the main purpose of the Tianqiaogou Maple Leaf Culture Festival.