There is no greater stimulus to the inherent curiosity of a child's mind than what exists in nature. This is the very driving force behind Daydream Forest Children's Park in Xiangyang, China. Here, children and families alike are treated to a fantastical tour of the senses, challenging their physical and mental aptitude in a whimsical adventure setting. The idea of this place is to challenge the mind to a game of modified reality, where real life things we connect within nature take on a vision filtered through a child's eyes.

This creates a unique storybook-like adventure that teaches kids strong values and morals for life, while having too much fun to care that they are gaining this wisdom along the way. The overall message hidden through these experiences of fantasy and fun is that one must confront the clash between pure nature and human culture to find a compromise as their journey as a human on Earth. How we interact with nature, manipulate it, survive within it, and reside around it, all shape who we as humans are.

There are five major zones in the park, in addition to the entry zone. Each will provide a unique insight into nature and human culture through elements of play and adventure, with a heavy lean on education. Since not every person learns best in a classroom, there will be many different methods of education such as nature walks, outdoor classrooms, informational signage, and hands-on-activities. With themes including agriculture, biodiversity, and outdoor skills, there will be numerous opportunities to learn through immersion. Whether it be families or school groups, Daydream Forest is the perfect getaway to the nature of fun.

The Entry Zone
From the moment guests arrive, they are beckoned in by an awe-inspiring icon representing the fusion of landscape and architecture with a heavy dose of whimsy, dubbed the "Canopy of Courage." This ascending adventure play component rises almost a hundred feet out of the ground challenging guest's courage to climb to its tree-like canopy at the top. This park entry looks to have been captured straight from a child's imagination.

A world-class children's discovery center, a part of this arrival sequence, helps to set the tone for the type of fun and engaging experiences that will be had throughout the rest of the park. Looking down from above, colorful annuals and perennial plantings mark the landscape in the entry plaza, with textures and patterns like an expressionist painting welcoming people into the park.

Agritopia - Agriculture Learning Zone
Agritopia incorporates a story of funny looking flowers and plants grown from magic seeds. The scene is generated from the fictitious story of a Mad Seed Scientist in a frenzy of experimentation in this garden lab. In the middle of the mess of tubes and wires and books, spilling with carefully taken notes, is a vast glowing cauldron of seeds! These magical seeds seem to have allowed the plants and animals here to grow to monumental proportions.

 

Giant chickens, goats, and funny well-dressed pig characters are not uncommon here, as users feel dwarfed below towering fruits and vegetables in the form of play structures. Kids get to learn and play amongst this fantasy novel-like story scene about real life things - food production, animal husbandry, culinary skills, and the future technologies of agriculture. Agritopia is also not short on the fun and the play, with places called Hay Country, Glorious Gardens Village, Friends of Fuzz and Feather, then finally the Cabbage Castle.

Wetland Wonderland
As you leave the pastoral scenes of Agritopia behind you, the landscape transitions from cultivated rows of cropland to the wild patchy grasses of the Wetland Wonderland with Cypress and other trees high overhead. The suggestion of water permeates the landscape, hidden beneath layers of lush planting and mounds of dense grasses, that suddenly part to reveal the surrounding lakes.

A series of towering nests and oversized water birds and cranes perch on a low rise in the distance. Only as you approach do you realize that it's an entire village, connected by net tunnels, thrilling slides, and a variety of climbing experiences. Lakeside Nature Center, Nest Raider Playground Salt Marsh Swamp, and Trader's Outpost are among a few destinations within this zone of the park.

Entomania - Nature Discovery Zone
Entomania is a zone of the park where insects are a buzz with activity, and you are a mere crawler amongst them. This part of the Nature Zone is the habitat of fantastical insects larger than life, and you get to join their society for a day. The rockwork above and surrounding, takes on fantastical shapes, and the land turns dry and barren. A sharp contrast to the wilds and the lush of the Wetland Swamps adjacent. It is only later that you discover that you have wandered into the AntMaze village, crisscrossed with a labyrinth of tunnels and towers to explore for hours.
Rocky and broken, tough desert trees line shallow pockets of sand where small children play in the shade. Cacti and succulents add green textures to the oranges of the soil and stone. At a secret desert oasis, dragonflies buzz overhead, water bugs and toads splash you with water at an interactive splash pad. Overhead the bees are busy, and the elevated pedal track and zip-lines allow you to experience the zipping flight patterns of a worker bee.

Camp Survival - Wilderness & Adventure Zone
Camp Survival is part campground part wilderness challenge course, acting as a lighter version of survival training and huge confidence builder for kids. Teamwork, leadership, and confidence through competition and skills training is the mission.

This zone contains a Water Adventure Course, a Forest Challenge Course, and a nature inspired adventure playground, in the setting of your favorite summer sleep-away camp. Families can scale larger than life tree characters that almost have a personality of themselves, as they circuit an elevated high ropes and challenge course atop the canopy known as the Mystery Forest adventure park. Here furry mammal friends can also follow along in their own elevated network of tunnels and nets to play along in the fun.

Marina Zone
A cohesive philosophy of building with the land instead of on the land is manifested in the Marina Zone. Boathouses and docks rest gently at the water's edge, lightly paved roads pass quietly through the landscape. A variety of watercraft - paddle boats, kayaks, canoes, and sailboats - are available to explore the park central lake.

Beyond and below the marina docks, intact ruins of an ancient city can be seen at the bottom of the lake - a reminder of nature's power and mystery, and the fragility of a humans' existence. By vessel, families can hone their water navigation skills to row or to sail, learn about water plants and native shoreline ecosystems, and even venture to another experience across the lake.

At Daydream Forest you may find yourself in a battle to save a sacred egg from an evil crocodile gang, or part of an ongoing spat between the spiders and the ants, then thrust into a wacky scene where the mischievous Pigzilla character plays tricks on you.

A guest might find themselves crash-landed into a frozen environment and challenge themselves to escape, in a skill learning quest for survival. These are just a taste of what one might experience on a visit to Daydream Forest. Giving the thirst to come back for more adventure, knowledge, and just plain old fun.

With such a diverse and unique blend of guest experiences, coupled with a one-of-a-kind fantasy themed landscape environment chalked full of fun, Daydream Forest
Children's Park is a new icon to the city of Xiangyang, and to all Central China.