Shimen National Forest Park (Photo: Fu Chaojun)

 Shimen National Forest Park (Photo: Fu Chaojun)

As the most popular wedding photography location and the largest self-driving forest park of Guangdong, Shimen National Forest Park boasts a perennial picturesque landscape, which features bamboo groves, a blanket of blooming flowers, towering mountains, strangely-shaped rocks, murmuring streams, roaring waterfalls and serene lakes. 

Shimen Forest Park is a national tourism resort and the first international forest bathing spot. Imposing mountains rise up into layer upon layer of clouds, while magnificent valleys present manifold features, making Shimen Forest Park a superb ecological habitat for a variety of precious plant and animal species, such as amentotaxus, pheasant, leopard, serow, pangolin, silver pheasant and civet cat.

The forest park consists of five scenic spots, namely, Coutryside, Shimen (literally meaning cross drift), Shizhao (literally meaning stone kitchen stove), Paradise Top and Canyon Adventure. In addition, the park boasts eight main attractions: Mountainous Lake and Blooming Flowers, Stone Kitchen Stove Surrounded by Clouds, Hundred Birds Returning to Nests, Red Lotus Radiating Charm, Shimen Plum Blossoms, Lingering Autumn Scenes, Panoramic View at Paradise Top and Shimen Sunset Landscape.

? Paradise Top, which reaches as high as 1,210 meters above sea level, constitutes the highest peak in Guangzhou. The path that connects Liangkou Town of Conghua to Gutian Village of Lvtian Town is of primitive beauty, which is called "Ancient Shadow Path". Stretching some 30 kilometers, this path is very winding. Tourists are advised to reach the top of the mountain by car and on foot. It is possible to walk all the way to the mountain top. However, given that the entire journey covers some 30 kilometers, it is impractical to finish it within one day. As such, tourists may need a two-day plan.

· The path is winding and full of cross-ways, so tourists are advised to mark every cross-way they come across.
· Self-Driving Route: Guangzhou-Conghua Highway –Jiekou of Conghua (towards Liangkou Town) – Shimen Forest Park – Gongqing Lu – Yincun – Paradise Top
 
? In Shizhao Mountainou Lake which lies at 1,000 meters above sea level, flower fields of hundred mu (One mu equals 667 square meters) stretch over two kilometers and are surrounded by lush trees and a crystal-clear lake.

In Shimen Lotus Boardwalk, a peach grove with no end in sight presents boundless vigor and vitality. Four-petal peach blossoms, which are peculiar to Shimen Forest Park, are quite different from the ordinary two-petal peach blossoms. This rare species adds a mythical touch to Shimen Forest Park.

Shimen boasts some 3,000 mu of red autumnal leaves, which mainly scatter in Shimen Scenic Spot and Shizhao Scenic Spot. Red autumnal leaves fall into three categories, namely, sycamores, sapium discolors and maple trees. Each type of red autumnal leaves presents its unique beauty: poetic maple trees, vast expanse of sapium discolors and row upon row of sycamores.

January to March: red lotus
February to March (during the Spring Festival): rape flowers
March to April: Mucuna birdwoodiana
September to October: garden cosmos
November to January: red autumnal leaves
December to January: peach blossoms
May to December: fruit season (Shimen Forest Park is home to orchards of several thousand mu. The best months for tasting different kinds of fruit are as follows: March to April –plum; May to June -- Sanhua plum; July to August – Lychee; August to September -- Longan; September to October – Tomato and Chinese chestnut; October to November – orange; December to February – tangerine.

※ Ticket price: 40 RMB per person

※ Location:  Wenquan Town, Conghua District, Guangzhou (廣州從化溫泉鎮石門國家森林公園)

※ Food: Near Shimen National Forest Park are a variety of farm restaurants, which provide a host of delicious local delicacies and farm food, including rice cooked with cured meat and fish, smoked fish, smoked duck, smoked pork, smoked pork ribs, smoked pettitoes and Chinese cabbage.

※ Transportation: Self-driving tour is recommended, and please pay attention to your safety during your trip.