Geleshan National Forest Park
The Geleshan National Forest Park (Chinese: 歌乐山国家森林公园; pinyin: Gēlèshān guójiā sēnlín gōngyuán) or Gele Mountain National Forest Park, is a nationally protected park in China, located in Geleshan, Shapingba District, 16 km west of Chongqing city centre.
Geleshan National Forest Park | |
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歌乐山国家森林公园 | |
IUCN category II (national park) | |
Location of Geleshan National Forest Park | |
Location | Shapingba District, Chongqing Municipality |
Nearest city | Chongqing |
Coordinates | 29°34′04″N 106°25′39″E |
Area | 16 km2 |
Etymology
In Chinese, gēlè (歌乐) means to sing and dance. According to legends, Gele Mountain obtained its name from ancient times when Yu the Great (Chinese: 大禹; pinyin: Dà Yǔ, c. 2200 – 2101 BC) supposedly invited guests to sing and dance on the mountain to celebrate the success of controlling local floods.[1]
Physical features
Due to its mountainous landscapes and lush green forests, which consist mostly of pine and cypress, Geleshan is poetically referred to as the "Emerald Fortress" (Chinese: 山城绿宝石; pinyin: Shānchéng Lǜbǎoshí). Natural features of the park also include prairie meadows, streams, springs, caves, and waterfalls.[2]
The highest point of Geleshan National Forest Park is 693 metres (2273.62 ft).
Activities
Geleshan Park includes a cable car ride, a cultural exhibition hall ("Martyr’s Mausoleum"), a canopy walkway, a fishing club, rock climbing, forest obstacle courses, and forest cross country karting. Other attractions include Chinese chess themed structures, and a "fairyland" exhibit where visitors can watch and listen to famous fairytales.[3]
Various festivals and events are also held at the Geleshan Forest Park, such as blueberry picking festivals, seasonal flower festivals, cycling races, and photography competitions.[4]
Geleshan Park has been awarded a 4A rating by the China National Tourism Administration.[5]
See also
- List of protected areas of China
- Geleshan, administrative town
- Geleshan (disambiguation)
References
- "Geleshan Forest Park". Meiya Travel. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- "Travel in Shapingba". cqnews. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- "初登歌乐山". Sina. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- Liu, Kan. ""Gele Mountain: International Slow City" in Shapingba". Chongqing News. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- "歌乐山国家森林公园". 重庆市沙坪坝区人民政府. Retrieved 28 October 2016.