Nanmu Forest in Hangzhou, China.

Nanmu Forest in Hainan, China

Nanmu (Phoebe Nanmu) is one of the most precious trees in China - the panda of the plant’s kingdom.

 Jinsi Nanmu trees having a diameter of over 15 cm. are priced oz. for oz. over that of gold. Gold is replaceable and Nanmu is irreplaceable. Nanmu is a kind of tree that takes centuries to grow. Therefore, priceless.

The wood was utilized as pillars for the Forbidden City Palace, the throne at the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City and imperial coffins in the tombs of Chinese emperors.

 Nanmu tree possesses an oil that acts as its own natural preservative. With this anti-rot quality, the wood is also used for architectural wood-work and boat building. It is an extremely rare wood because of its extraordinarily slow growth rate. It dries well with minimal warping or splitting. After polish, it exudes a noble sheen, beautiful grains and fine color shades. All of those qualities were endeared by ancient Chinese architects and furniture makers. Chinese scholars from the bygone era had a penchant of caressing the wood and enjoying the tactile pleasure thereof.

With an area of over 4 sq. km., ours is the biggest and one of the last surviving Nanmu forests in the world. It has over 30,000 Nanmu trees, mostly between 500-1500 years old. The tree is an endangered species. Our mission is to protect it the best we can by allowing as few people into the forest as possible - exclusively for scientists, VIP guests and club members.

In close proximity to the forest locates a small airport and one of the most beautiful and pristine lakes of China - the Thousand Island Lake. The area of the lake is 573 sq. km. and can be seen on a country map. Its rim covers a distance of over 2000 km. It has 1078 islands and supports dozens kinds of fish. Its crystal clear water has a visibility of between 7-12 meters and is bottled by two of the most famous mineral water companies in the nation. Thousand Island Lake is currently the largest forest park in China. It has been awarded many titles and received favorable comments from tourists both at home and abroad.

Nanmu Forest, in the country-side of Hangzhou, is south-west of and a 3-hour’s drive (180 km) from Shanghai and a 1.5-hour’s drive from the city center/airport of Hangzhou. It borders on the south-east side of the Thousand Island Lake. A few hours of sail away on the lake at its north-west corner lies the most beautiful mountain of China - Huangshan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature.

Moreover, dozens of scenic spots in the vicinity of the Nanmu Forest await ones discovery. Some of them have remarkable history, as Hangzhou was the capital of China during the Southern Song Dynasty, AD 1127-1279. Marco Polo was sent to Hangzhou by the Yuan Dynasty Emperor Kublai Khan during the late 13th century and referred to the city as ”beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world”. There must have been tremendous exchange of ideas and lifestyle between Venice and Hangzhou. Hangzhou, Suzhou and Venice were all water cities. They were all top cities in the world at the time. Sophisticated tourists can draw endless cross-references of the kind when they visit these scenic spots. By fortuitous coincidence, Nanmu Forest situates right next to the Fuxi Stone Forest (the first stone forest in East China).

The local cuisine is distinctive in style and represents an apex of Chinese cooking. The fresh river and lake fish that are brought up in clean mineral water flowed down from the nearby verdurous mountains are simply delicious.

 Ultra-high level of oxygen and negative ions, rivers, waterfalls, reservoirs, wild herbs & mushrooms, organic vegetables, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), taiji, yoga, spa and Chan (Zen) meditation are but a few of the many natural and holistic goodies at the forest...