Easy Stroll at the Dafushan Forest Park of Panyu

Unlike most other modern urban parks in China, the Dafushan Forest Park comes with some interesting legends. It is said that, during Panyu’s time as the capital of the Nanyue Kingdom, the state minister of Han dynasty, Lujia, came to Panyu to persuade Zhao Tuo, the King of Wu, to agree to subsume the Nanyue Kingdom under the Han dynasty’s rule. It was here in Dafushan Forest Park that the messenger became very thirsty. Legend has it that, when his horse stomped the ground, a fresh water source appeared right away to quench his thirst. Therefore, the “Horse Drinking Spring” stands in the western part of Dafushan Forest Park to this day.

It is said that Lujia, as a state minister of Han dynasty, “dafu,” was buried here as well. Thus the name Dafushan (Dafu Mountain) for this park.

Its name bearing the word “forest” does suggest the scale of Dafushan Forest Park. The park area is enormous with 580 hectares. In the park are 9 mounts of varying heights, the highest mountain is the Dawugang at 226.6 meters high. The park was open to the public in 1999 after the first phase of construction was completed. Needless to say, such a large area of natural environ would be perfect for a whole lot of natural species. Before being turned into the park, the area featured relatively few species of trees, such as Pinus massoniana and Acacia Mangium. Thereafter, more species were introduced into its ecosphere, mostly consisting of bauhinia and other ornamental trees.

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Post by Helen Yu (Chestnut Journal) | Mar 29, 2025