Nanshan Bamboo Sea 南山竹海

About Nanshan Bamboo Sea

Nanshan Bamboo Sea (南山竹海) is a bamboo-covered hill area at the south-eastern tip of Liyang (溧阳), Jiangsu, and one of the component sites of the Tianmu Lake (天目湖) national 5A scenic area. It lies south of Lijiayuan Village (李家园村) in Daibu Town (戴埠镇).

The site sits at the northern foot of the Yili hills (宜溧山地), with Yixing (宜兴) to the east and Guangde County (广德县) in Anhui on the far side of the ridge to the south. Its name comes from the local habit of calling the southern hills "Nanshan" (South Mountain) and from the bamboo that runs unbroken across them; the Liyang city government puts the bamboo at 35,000 mu. The scenic area itself covers more than 3 square kilometres, and the city government gives bamboo culture and longevity culture as its two themes.

Development began in September 2000, when the government of Hengjian Town (横涧镇), now part of Daibu, formed a tourism company around the Taoshujie Reservoir (桃树岕水库), a small reservoir built in 1963–1964. In March 2004 the operator of the Tianmu Lake Shanshuiyuan (天目湖山水园) scenic area signed on with that company to form a joint operator. The site became a national 4A area in July 2006, completed a second phase in September 2011, and on 11 October 2013 was grouped with two other Tianmu Lake sites into a single national 5A scenic area. Two pandas from the Shanghai Expo, Aoyun (奥运) and Zhuangmei (壮妹), moved into its panda house on 20 September 2011.

Visitors start at Jing Lake (静湖) near the gate, fed by hill streams and rainwater; bamboo rafts are the area's only boat trip. Above the lake, Longevity Plaza (寿星广场) holds a copper figure of the God of Longevity whose head is almost 13 metres tall, with the hillside forming its body. From the plaza a cableway and a footpath climb to Shimenjian (石门尖) on the peak to the north-west, while the history and culture zone on the southern hilltop is reached only by a funicular; there is no footpath to it.

What to look for

• The God of Longevity (南山寿翁), a copper figure with a head nearly 13 m high, backed by a screen wall carrying the character for longevity in 100 styles
• Jing Lake (静湖) near the entrance, where bamboo rafts are the area's only boat trip
• Shimenjian (石门尖), the peak north-west of Longevity Plaza, reached by cableway or footpath
• Bamboo Culture Garden (竹文化园), built on the site of Jiming Village's old bamboo shop, with three halls on the character, uses and settings of bamboo
• The old official road (古官道), a stone-paved way about 2 m wide and 1.5 km long that once crossed from Jiangsu into Anhui
• The panda house (熊猫馆) in the hilltop history and culture zone

Location & getting there

Getting to Nanshan Bamboo Sea

• Search for 南山竹海 with 常州市 and 溧阳市.