A Fairyland on Earth — Shang Sifang

The Shang Sifang Base is situated in Tonggu County, Jiangxi Province, known as the "Hometown of Southern Chinese Yew" and "China’s Hometown of Longevity". It falls within the territory of Tonggu National Forest Park.

The highest altitude here reaches 1,006.3 metres, the lowest point is 503 metres, with an average elevation of 750 metres. It borders Fengxin County in the east, Yifeng County and Wanzai County in the south, Pingjiang County and Liuyang City of Hunan Province in the west, and Xiushui County as well as Tongcheng County of Hubei Province in the north.

The base enjoys a humid subtropical monsoon climate with excellent natural conditions. Endowed with unique resource advantages and huge development potential, it is an ideal land for developing original ecological and purely green health products.

The vast bamboo sea of Shang Sifang forms a natural oxygen bar with an elegant environment and fresh air rich in positive and negative ions. Boasting superior atmospheric quality, it serves as a perfect destination to get close to nature, cultivate one’s temperament, spend holidays, or receive recuperation and escape summer heat.

Strolling along the paths shaded by green bamboo, visitors can admire the scenery all the way. In spring, you can watch bamboo shoots sprouting after rain; in summer, you can enjoy the coolness deep in the bamboo groves.

When you climb to the mountain top, a breathtaking view unfolds: tens of thousands of mu of bamboo forests bathe in spring breezes. Green moso bamboos cover every mountain and slope, forming rolling green waves. The rustling bamboo leaves mingle with birds’ harmonious chirps. Faced with such scenery, every traveller will feel immersed in a fairyland, free themselves from worldly fame and fortune, and achieve spiritual purification and sublimation.

After more than an hour’s hiking, you will spot the only local farmhouse hidden amid green mountains, bamboo seas and mist — a genuine land of idyllic peace far away from the mortal world.

Stretching as far as the eye can see, the whole mountain is covered with green bamboo across more than ten thousand mu. Rolling hills connect one another. The place enjoys warm winters and cool summers, maintaining peace and quiet rarely seen nationwide. It features gorgeous natural scenery: mountain tea gardens, endless bamboo groves, gurgling clear streams and pure fresh air full of delight.

More than 1.5 million bamboos spread across the mountains, forming luxuriant green woods. The narrow trails winding through the bamboo groves are primitive and serene. Green bamboos surge like green ocean waves alongside bubbling brooks, with shifting mist creating spectacular scenes. Whether climbing up for a distant view or wandering among the bamboo trees, you can fully appreciate the beauty of nature.

Among the plants here grows the southern Chinese yew, a Class I national protected tree species, universally recognised as a rare endangered natural anti-cancer plant in the world.

The yew grove works as a magical natural oxygen bar. Each breath supplies the brain with ample oxygen. The delicate fragrance enters the bloodstream through the lung meridians, boosting blood circulation, improving physical functions and strengthening immunity. It also helps relieve diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, rhinitis and bronchitis, and shows remarkable effects on insomnia and cancer treatment. Paclitaxel extracted from yews can restrain the division and growth of cancer cells. Long-term recuperation here allows the body to rest and recover, greatly enhancing immunity.

The yew forest in Shang Sifang covers over 6,000 mu, making it the largest and most concentrated yew community in Tonggu County. There are several millennium-old yews with a trunk diameter exceeding 100 centimetres, more than 2,000 trees over a hundred years old, and roughly 200,000 yews of all ages in total.

The area also boasts Class II national protected tree varieties including fragrant nanmu, Chinese torreya, tulip tree, Chinese holly, camphor tree and cyclocarya paliurus. Some of these trees are over a thousand years old with trunk diameters wider than 100 centimetres.

The total investment for the Shang Sifang Chinese Yew Scenic Area in Tonggu County reaches 500 million yuan. Phase I infrastructure projects, including cement roads and power supply facilities, have been mostly completed. Phase II construction will start soon.

Since the project broke ground in 2013, the five-year development plan aims to build Shang Sifang into a one-of-a-kind national wellness resort. It will include zones for health preservation, Zen meditation, elderly care, bamboo culture experience, phytoncidere recuperation, high-end yew therapy, as well as the Hongdou Stream ecological recreation belt. The scenic area is expected to officially receive tourists within the next two years