A popular hiking path known as the "horse drawing route" at Guangzhou’s Daifushan Forest Park, also known as Dafushan, has been officially closed by authorities due to safety and environmental concerns.
The unofficial trail – created and promoted by hiking enthusiasts on social media to mark the coming Year of Horse – involves participants following a specific path through the Daifushan mountain to form the shape of a horse on mapping applications.
The route is challenging, with cumulative elevation gains between 1,300 and 1,780 meters. Hikers have to navigate dense undergrowth, steep slopes, and sections without established paths that require them to forge their own way.
More than 1,000 attempted the trail in the past week, leading to incidents such as falls while climbing steep inclines and scaling walls, according to a Friday post of Guangzhou Fabu, a WeChat public account of Guangzhou municipal government.
The park administration said the route is never part of official park trails.
The activity caused damage to vegetation, with some areas showing signs of degradation. While the overall ecosystem remains stable and no rare species were reported harmed, continued use could prevent natural recovery.
Plans are underway for spring replanting efforts.
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In a public notice, the park administration detailed the dangers of unmarked zones – complex terrain featuring steep drops, falling rocks, sharp branches, venomous snakes and insects, lack of safety barriers or signage, and poor mobile phone reception that may cause sever delay in locating the injured individuals during rescue operation.
Visitors have been urged to stay on designated trails or walks.
For those seeking scenic views, the park offers a particularly attractive alternative in January: thousands of bald cypress trees have turned reddish-brown, creating an oil-painting-like landscape. Well-maintained cycling paths allow visitors to explore multiple lakes and woods, passing several cypress groves ideal for viewing amidst shifting green and red foliage.
This article is translated by China Daily from the original report in Chinese as published on Guangzhou Fabu, a WeChat public account of Guangzhou municipal government.
