Nanning Golden Camellia Park (Jinhuacha Park)

Nanning Jinhuacha Park is located at No. 3-5 Ge Village Road, Jianzheng Street, Qingxiu District, Nanning City. The park showcases a variety of camellia flowers and is adorned with scenic elements such as stone boats, stone bridges, pavilions, and towers. Established in December 1995, it spans an area of 23.9 hectares and is renowned as the first specialized camellia garden in China dedicated primarily to cultivating the “Queen of Camellias,” the Jinhuacha. It integrates sightseeing, production, scientific research, and entertainment into a multifunctional garden.

Overview:
Jinhuacha Park is the first specialized camellia garden in China, featuring the largest national and global gene bank of the Jinhuacha camellia. Opened in December 1995, it covers a planned area of 250,000 square meters. The park emphasizes the characteristics of Jinhuacha camellias, focusing on plant landscapes and integrating flower viewing, production, scientific research, and entertainment services.

Features:
Inside Jinhuacha Park, there are over 5,000 camellia plants of various types including mountain camellias, oil camellias, and tea camellias. The park also features sparse woodland slopes and a distinctive Manila lawn. The entire park is landscaped with hills, streams, and rocks, deliberately recreating the natural scenery of the Jinhuacha camellia’s original habitat, a feature unique to this park.

Attractions:
Jinhuacha Gene Bank:
The park’s Camellia Garden houses precious camellia varieties from both domestic and international sources, serving as a significant research base for the rare Jinhuacha camellia. It conserves original Jinhuacha trees and has introduced prized camellia species from countries like Vietnam, Japan, the United States, and Canada, including varieties such as the Vietnamese “Bao Jing Camellia” and the Japanese “Peacock Camellia.” With over 7,000 plants representing 105 varieties including Jinhuacha, mountain camellia, oil camellia, and tea camellia, it stands as a unique and picturesque landscape in Nanning, particularly noted for its Queen of Camellias. The park hosts large-scale Spring Camellia Flower Festivals annually, attracting numerous visitors during the blooming season.

Jinhuacha Camellia:
Jinhuacha, a member of the camellia family, is characterized by its golden-yellow flowers with waxy calyx gloss. Its flowering season spans from November to April of the following year, peaking in January and February. Renowned as the “Queen of Camellias,” it is a rare and valuable member of the camellia family, often referred to as the “giant panda of the plant kingdom.”

Jinhuacha Gene Bank:
Established in 1981, this is the largest research base for studying and preserving Jinhuacha camellias globally. It houses 22 original and hybrid Jinhuacha varieties, with over 5,000 cultivated plants and the introduction of five new species in recent years, bringing the total number of Jinhuacha camellia varieties in the gene bank to 27. The establishment of the gene bank has effectively protected the genetic resources of Jinhuacha camellias and provided favorable conditions for comprehensive research, further development, and utilization of this valuable plant species.

Mountain Camellia Area:
Located opposite the entrance to the gene bank, this area is densely populated with well-grown mountain camellias, a traditional Chinese flower species. In addition to the Jinhuacha camellia, it boasts over 150 varieties such as the Huadong camellia and Yunnan camellia. The park currently features more than 100 mountain camellia plants, famous varieties including “Crown,” “Eighteen Scholars,” “Xue Tower,” and “Flower Peony.” During late autumn to early spring, various species of camellia bloom vividly, creating a colorful spectacle throughout the park.

Gold Flower Tea:
Gold Flower Tea, a member of the camellia family within the mountain camellia group, was first discovered in southern Guangxi, China in the early 1960s. It is a precious and rare ornamental plant and cultivation resource, primarily found in China and Vietnam. In China, the Gold Camellia group is exclusively distributed in southern Guangxi. There are 23 recognized taxonomic groups worldwide, with 21 found in China, including 19 unique species, four of which are classified as first and second-level protected plants in China.