Opening Hours: 8:00 – 18:00

Ticket Price: 20 RMB per person

Contact Information Telephone: 0375-8122577 Address: East Section of Longquan Road, Wugang City, Pingdingshan City, Henan Province

Best Visiting Season: Spring and Autumn

Complaint Hotline: 0375-4968235

Transportation Guide Local Transport: Starting from the bus station, drive east for 2 kilometres along Shimantan Avenue beside the reservoir to reach the scenic area.

Shimantan National Forest Park was one of the 45 national forest parks approved by the Ministry of Forestry in February 1992 with the official document Linzaopi (92) No.154. Its construction was based on the Master Plan for Shimantan Forest Botanical Garden drafted in 1987.

The park lies in central Henan, southern Wugang, on the eastern foot of the Funiu Mountains and the western side of the Huanghuai Plain. It covers the state-owned Shimantan Forest Zone and Tieshan Town, seven townships including Shangdian, Wugong, Yinji, Yangzhuang, Wangdian and Miaojie, as well as three sub-districts: Yakou, Sipo and Yuanling. It borders the urban area directly. The total area reaches 190 square kilometres, among which 120 square kilometres are tourist zones. Four tourist routes, ten major scenic areas (Longquan Lake, Jiutou Cliff, Heavenly Lake, Qi Mountain, Ma'an Mountain, Ping Ridge, Jiuzhou, Pangbei Mountain, Wufeng Mountain and Jiulong Mountain) and 76 scenic spots have been planned.

Centred on Longquan Lake, flanked by Jiutou Cliff and Heavenly Lake, the park stretches outward along four tourist routes, developing into a leisure and sightseeing resort featuring green mountains, clear waters, exotic caves and fantastic rock formations.

Shimantan National Forest Park was among the 45 national forest parks approved by the Ministry of Forestry in February 1992 (Document Linzaopi (92) No.154), developed from the 1987 master plan of Shimantan Forest Botanical Garden.

Administrative Scope The park is located in central Henan, southern Wugang, at the eastern foot of the Funiu Mountains and the western edge of the Huanghuai Plain. It includes the state-owned Shimantan Forest Zone, Tieshan Town, seven townships and three sub-districts adjacent to downtown Wugang. Total area: 190 km², including 120 km² of developed scenic areas. The plan covers four travel routes, ten core scenic zones and 76 individual attractions.

With Longquan Lake as the centre and Jiutou Cliff and Heavenly Lake as the two wings, the park extends along four routes and forms a comprehensive leisure tourist destination with green hills, limpid waters, grottoes and strange rocks.

Jiutou Cliff Scenic Area consists of 40 sub-scenic zones, 27 historical sites, 8 caves, 12 natural springs and 128 scenic spots. Heavenly Lake Scenic Area is mainly situated in Changlingtou Village, and Guanping Courtyard Scenic Area lies in Cangping Village, boasting 110 attractions and 35 relics with towering precipitous peaks.

The national forest park sits in southern Wugang right next to the urban district. The Luo-Wu and Ping-Wu railways intersect here, while the Xu-Mi and Ping-Zhu highways run through the whole territory, bringing highly convenient transportation. Mountains surround water, water encircles the city, and the city links with hills, integrating mountains, rivers, forests and urban landscapes. The total area is 190 square kilometres, with 120 square kilometres open to visitors. The park boasts dense forests, rippling lake water, grotesque peaks, fairy-tale caves, cliff waterfalls, sea of clouds and flocks of birds, earning it the reputation of "Little Jiangnan in Northern China".

Situated in the transition zone from the northern subtropical zone to the warm temperate zone, the park has abundant water resources and well-preserved forest vegetation with a pleasant climate suitable for all-year travel. In spring, visitors come to enjoy blooming flowers; in summer, they escape the heat in thick woods; in autumn, they pick wild fruits; in winter, they appreciate snow scenes.

The tourism layout centres on Longquan Lake, with Heavenly Lake Mountain and Jiutou Cliff on both sides, covering four travel lines, ten scenic zones and nearly a thousand attractions including Erlang Mountain, Ma'an Mountain, Wufeng Mountain, Pangbei Mountain, Qi Mountain and Jiuzhou.

The region features green mountains, thick tree cover and abundant rainfall, with a forest coverage rate exceeding 90% and an annual average temperature of 14.6℃. Travellers are surrounded by lush greenery and natural sounds, listening to birds singing and smelling sweet osmanthus spreading across the steel city. Different scenic zones offer varied experiences: viewing peculiar rock shapes, watching lake waves, exploring deep shady forests, or visiting large modern iron and steel enterprises to witness steel production.

It is a natural summer resort, home to the Shimantan International Dragon Boat Race Base, the modern steel city with flying sparks, and the spectacular dam waterfall of Shimantan Reservoir. Numerous natural landscapes and cultural relics form a magnificent scroll of mountains and rivers that makes tourists linger on.

Development Layout Centred on Longquan Lake, with Jiutou Cliff and Heavenly Lake as the two wings, the park radiates along four tourist routes. It will be built into a leisure resort with charming mountains, waters, caves and rocks, turning Wugang into an industrial tourism city combining mountains, rivers, forests, urban scenery and sightseeing.

As one of the core zones of Shimantan National Forest Park, construction began in January 1993. General Zhang Aiping, former Minister of National Defence, inscribed the name of the scenic area personally.

The scenic area enjoys superior geographic location and easy transport. It is in the southeast of Wugang City: 17 kilometres east to National Highway 107, 5 kilometres west to Xu-Mi Highway, 9 kilometres north to Wugang Bus Station and 12 kilometres north to the Luo-Wu Railway Station. Facing Chaya Mountain across the mountain to the east and connecting with Shimantan Reservoir to the north, it covers more than 50 square kilometres. The mountain gate project started in April 1994 and was completed in June, with a total investment of 690,000 RMB for road construction and gate building.

Jiutou Cliff comprises 40 sub-scenic areas, 27 historical relics, 8 caves, 12 springs and 128 attractions. It features steep mountains, luxuriant pines and bamboo, crystal-clear streams and legendary caves. Every peak carries a fairy tale, and natural scenery is as beautiful as poems and paintings. The main attraction is Jiutou Cliff with nine towering peaks standing side by side. Seventeen waterfalls including Dishuiya Waterfall present either graceful ripples or roaring torrents. Butterfly Spring and Blue Wave Pool are arranged in picturesque order. Many caves such as Mute Cave, Immortal Cave, Mutual Gaze Cave and Child-Sending Cave are tied to fascinating myths. Historic traces remain in Double Dragon Cave, Azure Dragon Cave and Dragon King Cave. Vivid rock formations include a maiden dressing her hair, a monk riding a camel, a woman holding a baby waiting for her husband, and mandarin turtle stones.

Heavenly Lake Mountain Scenic Area is located in the southern mountainous area of Wugang City, 20 kilometres from Sipo Railway Station and 15 kilometres from Yangzhuang Bus Station. It is divided into two parts: Heavenly Lake and Guanping Courtyard. The Heavenly Lake zone lies mainly in Changlingtou Village, and Guanping Courtyard is in Cangping Village. Altogether there are 110 scenic spots and 35 cultural relics with abrupt and imposing peaks.

When you step into Heavenly Lake, you feel cool as if it were autumn even in midsummer. Standing in the sunken courtyard, you can only see a thin strip of sky overhead. Walking across the overpass, you will feel as if wandering in fairyland. The enchanting scenery always delights visitors and makes them reluctant to leave, just as the saying goes: "There are countless scenic spots under heaven, yet none can rival the wonder of Heavenly Lake."