Paiya Mountain Forest Park, a national 3A tourist attraction and a provincial eco-tourism demonstration area, is located in the west of Jingzhou County, 18 kilometers away from the county seat, with a total area of 6,800 hectares. Among the 97 peaks dotted in the park, the highest one is 987 meters. There are thousands of hectares of primitive secondary forests and about 4,600 hectares of artificial forests in the park, making the forest coverage rate of 87.29% and the growing stock volume of 446,000 cubic meters. It is therefore hailed as “a land of greenness” and “natural oxygen bar” in southwestern Hunan. Covering nine scenic areas with 169 scenic spots, the park boasts beautiful panorama filled with peaks, rocks, valleys, woods, and streams.

The metasequoia trees, known as a “living fossil among plants”, in the park were planted in the 1970s, covering an area of more than 67 hectares. In autumn, the land which is embellished with metasequoia trees tinged with scarlet red and misty resembles a scroll of traditional Chinese painting.

Dragon Pond, 10 kilometers away from the park management center, is a famous attraction in the park. According to the legend, the pond is where dragons bath, hence its name Dragon Pond. Its surrounding sceneries offer a natural art gallery, boasting of not only its landscape of mountains and waters, but also its grotesque rocks and deep pools. The sceneries here change with seasons. In spring, mountains surrounding the pond are decorated by colorful wild flowers. In summer, the luxuriant forests make it an excellent resort, offering an escape from the heat. In autumn, leaves turn fiery red, welcoming visitors with auspiciousness brought about by this color. In winter, snow blankets the mountains, creating a white carpet, with only pines stand green.

(Translated by Yang Hong)