Heizhugou 黑竹沟

About Heizhugou

The managed Malilengjiu area combines wet grassland, streams and mature forest, giving visitors an accessible introduction to a much larger protected landscape. The useful focus is this designated visitor circuit, with places such as Jingshui pasture and the sister trees, rather than sensational stories about disappearing travellers. The wider reserve contains remote terrain that should not be treated as an extension of the public walkway.

Heizhugou National Forest Park lies in Ebian Yi Autonomous County (峨边彝族自治县), Leshan, 144 kilometers from the Leshan city center, in the Xiao Liangshan (小凉山) mountain area. The scenic area covers 575 square kilometers, with a further 263 square kilometers of peripheral protected land, and its elevation ranges from 1,500 to 4,288 meters. It contains distinctive astronomical, geological and hydrological features and supports a wide range of wild plants and animals.

Its predecessor was the 611 Forest Farm (611林场) of the Sichuan South Forestry Bureau (川南林业局). The area is now a Sichuan provincial-level scenic area (四川省级风景名胜区); it was designated a national forest park on 22 February 2000 and is also a national-level nature reserve, and it is now rated a national 4A tourist attraction.

What to look for

• Malilengjiu’s meadow, wetland and stream scenery.
• Forest paths passing mature trees, including the locally named sister trees.

Location & getting there

Getting to Heizhugou

Arrange transport via Ebian to Heizhugou’s signed visitor area at Gujing village. Confirm which managed circuits and access roads are open, and reserve the return ride before entering the mountain area.