Honghua (Red Flower) Mt Forest Park in the National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (Tangjiawan) is expected to partially open by Spring Festival (Feb 12) with spectacular forest, mountain, creek, and valley scenery.

Located off Yinkeng Bay and Gangwan Avenue south of Jishan Village, the park is known as Small Jiuzhai. Hikers named it after the lucid waters and picturesque mountain sceneries of Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic & Historic Interest Area in Sichuan on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Honghua itself has lush vegetation, a terrain sloping west to east and valley between ridges to the north. Visitors can explore secluded landscapes along winding paths.

Honghua Mt Forest Park [Photo by Liu Jiacheng & Ye Qiuming / Guanhai App]

The first phase west of the upmarket residential community Yinquan Shanzhuang Villa encompasses a parking lot, leisure square and platforms, decorative rocks and pavilions, statues, benches, hardened roads, and landscape upgrades.

Walking 500 m (547 yd) along the eucalyptus-lined footpath and turning left, visitors can access the 46,000-sqm (11-acre) second phase, which has football, basketball, and volleyball fields, a children's amusement park, fitness square, and pavilions.

In addition, the 1.3-km (.8-mile) southern hiking trail has taken shape on long-used mountain routes. It leads to small waterfalls and clear ponds deep in the mountain, while two sightseeing pavilions will be available on the latter half of the hiking route.

Now, hiking trails are being landscaped and support facilities are receiving their final touches.

The park will have two entrances, one at Quanxing Road near Yinxing Residential Community to access the southern trail, and the other near the Dieshi bus stop to access the northern trail. Hikers can return by the same route and the entire climbing will take about two hours.

The mountainous section is temporarily closed for now inasmuch a red alert for forest fires is in effect. Playgrounds and a children's amusement area in the second phase, however, will be available, according to the park manager.