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Explore the region
About Hongshan Forest Zoo
Hongshan Forest Zoo (红山森林动物园) is a zoo covering 68 hectares of hilly ground at 168 Heyan Road (和燕路) in Hongshan Subdistrict (红山街道), Xuanwu District (玄武区), in the north of Nanjing (南京).
The zoo goes back to 28 September 1928, when the Nanjing city government brought in monkeys from Wujin County (武进县) and set up an animal garden on Xuanwu Lake (玄武湖), where Liangzhou (梁洲) and Cuizhou (翠洲) islands meet. The Japanese occupation destroyed it, and the Wang Jingwei (汪精卫) regime rebuilt it in place. After the war a zoo was built on Liangzhou; it moved to Lingzhou (菱洲) in January 1954, and in September 1998 left the lake for the present site at Hongshan. Chinese Wikipedia gives green cover of 85 percent across the hills.
The zoo's own figures are more than 270 species and over 3,500 animals, kept in nearly 30 houses and enclosures spread across themed zones such as Song of Africa (非洲之歌), Gondwana (冈瓦纳), Gaoligong (高黎贡) and the Native Species Conservation Area (本土物种保育区). Many exhibits keep several species together in settings modelled on their native habitats. The zoo map also lists giant pandas, Tangjiahe (唐家河), a hornbill rainforest, a Chinese cats house, koalas and an Asian primate area.
Hongshan handles wildlife rescue for both Jiangsu province and Nanjing city, taking in nearly a thousand lost or injured birds and mammals a year. Its native species area serves as a training stage before animals are released to the wild, and the zoo monitors wild populations of leopard cats, Chinese water deer (獐) and black kites. Solar panels on exhibit roofs supply power, and animal dung goes into compost used for planting. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction and a national science education base.
What to look for
- Song of Africa (非洲之歌) themed zone
- Gondwana (冈瓦纳) themed zone
- Gaoligong (高黎贡) themed zone
- Native Species Conservation Area (本土物种保育区), a pre-release training ground for native animals
- Chinese Cats (中国猫科) and Cat Planet (猫科星球)
- Hornbill Rainforest (犀鸟雨林)
- Giant pandas (大熊猫) and Tangjiahe (唐家河)
- Lemur House (狐猴之家) and Australian Kangaroo Corner (澳洲袋鼠角)
Location & getting there
Getting to Hongshan Forest Zoo
- Search for 红山森林动物园 with 南京市 and 玄武区.
Find Hongshan Forest Zoo
红山森林动物园 · 玄武区
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
Sources & visit information
Written from the linked sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer on 2026-09-23. Opening hours, admission and access arrangements are not covered; confirm current visitor information with the site.
Some facts checked against Wikipedia contributors, "南京红山森林动物园" · CC BY-SA 4.0.