Nangong Mountain National Forest Park

It is situated in the east of Langao County, about 92 kilometers (57 miles) from the downtown of Ankang City. It is the first national forest park in Shaanxi Province. Covering an area of about 7,648 hectares (18,899 acres), this beautiful park gathers together hills, waters, rocks, numerous plants and animals. It is famous for its remnants of ancient volcano eruptions and glaciers, virgin secondary forest and great Buddhist’s relics.

This forest park is a natural botanical and zoological garden. There are about 1,800 species of seed plants and ferns, and 300 kinds of wild animals. It is a paradise of endangered plants and rare wild animals, such as Chinese dove trees, trembling poplars, cuckoopints, katsura trees, giant salamanders, golden pheasants, golden eagles and civet cats. One ‘must-see’ is a thousand-year-old oak that rises again, and fourteen saplings of seven tree species grow in its trunk.

As this mountain is at an elevation of about 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) to 3,000 meters (9,842 feet), trees are divided into four clear forest belts there, forming a totally different glorious forest landscape in four seasons.

Since ancient times, this mountain had been a sanctum of Taoism and Buddhism. In 1126, a Taoism temple was built here and gradually evolved into the sacred place of Buddhism. In 1820, a great Buddhist monk died here and his remains were kept for hundreds of years, adding mystery to the grand mountain.

The Nangong Mountain also abounds in fantastic caves and craggy rocks, which present an infinite variety of shapes. The waterscape in this national forest park is another ‘must-see’. Streams wander through the magnificent mountains and deep valleys; Waterfalls dash down a thousand feet as if the Silver River fell from azure sky. About 20 ponds in different sizes and colors are added into this natural world. In addition, this mountain with peaks peeps through clouds and mist. Seen from the summit of the Nangong Mountain, the beauty of the sunrise is beyond description. Nowadays, the Nangong Mountain National Forest Park has become an excellent scenic area for sightseeing, leisure and spending summer.