Dinghu Mountain

Dinghushan was designated in 1956 as the first nature reserve in China, protecting a patch of subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest that survived because a monastery held the land: Qingyun Temple, founded in 1633, forbade cutting on the slopes above it, and the forest is now roughly four hundred years undisturbed, the best-preserved of its type at this latitude. It became a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1979 and functions as a long-term ecological research station. Visitors walk trails through dense forest to waterfalls and pools, with the temple below and hundreds of plant species along the way, many labelled.

Highlights

• The old-growth forest - four centuries of undisturbed subtropical woodland.
• Qingyun Temple - the 1633 monastery that protected the slopes.
• The waterfalls and pools - streams through the forest, swimmable in places.
• The labelled flora - a dense plant list along the research trails.

When to go

October to April for cooler walking; summer is hot and humid but the forest is shaded and the pools inviting. Rain is heaviest from May to August. Weekends bring Zhaoqing visitors.

What to expect

The reserve is developed with paved paths, shuttle buses and a swimming pool area, not a wilderness. Entry is charged. Research sections are closed to visitors.

Nearby

Seven Star Crags lie in Zhaoqing; Guangzhou is east.

Key facts