The Songshan Forest Tourist Area

Songshan Forest Tourist Area is a part of the Songshan Natural Protection Region. It is situated in the northwest of Yanqing District, Beijing, in the middle of the Jundu Mountain region. It is more than 90 kilometers away from the city. The tourist area is a specially administered region. It has an exceptional natural environment with rich plant and animal resources.

In 1986, the area was designated a National Nature Protection Area by the State Council. In 2000, it was designated as a Municipal Tourist Attraction. The protection area covers 4,660 hectares in total. The core area is 1,819 hectares, the experimental area is 1,578 hectares, and the tourist area is 1,263 hectares. There is a lot of wildlife within the park. The forest is lush and dense, and there are more than 180 types of vertebrate animals and 700 types of plants in the area. There are more than 50 hectares of Chinese pines that have been well preserved. Stele inscriptions from the reign of Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty recorded about this area read as follows, “Green pines and cypresses show off their beautiful dark green.” In the spring and autumn, hundreds of wild flowers are in full bloom and the birds tune their singing voices here. The area thrives with natural vitality.

The Haituo Mountain Peak within the beautiful park has an elevation of 2,199.6 meters, and is the second highest peak in the Beijing area. There are also more than 30 scenic spots such as the Natural Chinese Pines, the One-Hundred Waterfall Spring, The Eight Immortals Cave, Flying Dragon Cliff, and other natural splendors, each of which has its own special characteristics. The Songshan Tourist Area enjoys a classical mountain climate. Because of the high elevation and its geographic features, the climate is extremely easy for people to bear. It is one of the few parts of Beijing that has a lower-than-normal temperature. The average annual temperature here is 7°C, 4 degrees lower than Beijing and 2.9 degrees lower than in Chengde.

The hot springs of Songshan Mountain are popular for people of all ages, and the area has been a destination for medical pilgrimages since a long time ago. The temperature of the hot springs is 45°C. Every day more than 2,000 cubic meters of water pours from the springs. The water contains 37 different natural elements such as potassium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, and others. The fluorine content in the water is as high as 12mg/liter, making the spring particularly effective for the treatment of skin diseases, arthritis, rheumatism and neuralgia. Over the ages, a great many people have been attracted to the baths.

Songshan Natural Protection Zone is an ideal place for scientific research or educational practices. It is also a great place to pass a vacation, seek medical treatment, write poetry or paint, or enjoy the splendor of the wilderness. After a few years of development, the facilities here are quite extensive.

Featured Attractions: It has 713 kinds of plants among which medicinal plants accounts for a large proportion of them, about 300 kinds; there are 184 kinds of vertebrate animals, 125 kinds of birds and 80 kinds of breeding birds. It has natural pines, Baibu waterfall, Baxian Cave and more than 30 attractions which have distinguishing features. Songshan Spring was famous since more than 1,500 years ago, during a period of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The area was made into a pond for women to bathe in. It was honored by the people of the Qing Dynasty as "the best place for the body", and a "holy land for cultivating the body".