“Chinese Capital of Maple Leaves” Benxi Issues “Red Maples Index”

Every autumn, the city of Benxi in Northeast China becomes one of the most coveted destinations because of its magnificent maples. Recently, Benxi unveiled a "red maples index" covering its entire territory for visitors' convenience of maple viewing.

Benxi is a Top Tourism City of China, a National Forest City and a National Garden City, and is well-known as "Chinese Capital of Maple Leaves". Boasting a forest coverage rate of 76.31%, Benxi has forests amounting to 9.6 million mu (roughly 6,400 square km), of which 3.2% or 265,000 mu (roughly 177 square km) are maples, more than anywhere else in China, according to the Publicity Department of the CPC Benxi Municipal Committee.

In the golden autumn season, Benxi ushers in its best maple-viewing period. Benhuan (Benxi-Huanren) Highway is nicknamed "road of maples", Guanmen Mountain is dubbed "small Mount Huangshan beyond the Great Wall", Fenglin Valley (Maple Forest Valley) exudes a distinct charm, Yanghugou Scenic Area is coined "destination for painters nationwide" and numerous other attractions big and small are enshrouded in red and a myriad of other colors, turning Benxi into a place of poetic beauty and red romance in northeastern style.

Relevant data indicates that the Bamianwei scenic spot in Fenglin Valley Forest Park, Yingcai Lake scenic spot in the Laobiangou Scenic Area, and Doudou Pasture scenic spot in the Dabinggou National Geology and Forest Park have reached "maple redness level II", while Biquan Valley scenic spot in Guanshan Lake Scenic Area and Yishou Lake scenic spot in Dashi Lake Scenic Area are at "maple redness level I". At present, Benxi, the "capital of maple leaves", is opening its arms to embrace the arrival of visitors from both China and abroad.

Source: Publicity Department of the CPC Benxi Municipal Committee