Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo 2026 | A Full Day Of Animal Watching

Overview

This was a one-day family outing in downtown Nanjing, centered on Hongshan Forest Zoo, with an evening walk at nearby Mochou Lake Park to close out the day.

Hongshan Forest Zoo is the kind of place you can spend a full day at — it has a wide range of animals, and most enclosures have been redesigned to feel more naturalistic, which makes it noticeably more pleasant than a traditional zoo. We kept a relaxed pace throughout, with a snack break in the middle, which worked well with kids in tow.

Hongshan Zoo | From Hippos And Orangutans To Flamingos And Tigers

We took a photo at the entrance plaza first — the wooden gate and the topiary animal sculptures at Hongshan Forest Zoo are distinctive and worth capturing before heading in.

The two kids also posed next to a giant gorilla sculpture by the gate, which felt like the official kickoff for the day.

The hippo enclosure left a strong first impression — it lay motionless by the pool, looking even bigger than expected.

The orangutan area is an open-air outdoor space, and through the glass we could see two orangutans foraging casually on the grass, quite close to the viewing area.

In the reptile section, an iguana sat motionless on a branch, its coloring and texture striking up close.

The flamingo area was the most colorful stop of the day — a flock gathered under bamboo fencing and palm leaves, their orange-pink feathers making for great photos.

The Asian elephant enclosure sits next to an older building, with the herd slowly moving behind the fence, their size quite imposing up close.

The tiger enclosure is viewed through mesh netting — the tiger paced slowly through the trees, and even from a distance it had a strong presence.

We also passed a meerkat area along the way, with three meerkats darting around tree stumps and log piles, full of energy.

Partway through, we grabbed a snack inside the park — sweet potato fries and fried chicken bites — and rested on a rock before continuing.

Mochou Lake Park | An Evening Wind-Down

It was still light out when we left the zoo, so we made a quick stop at nearby Mochou Lake Park. The gate was hung with red lanterns, and the two kids posed for one more photo there, closing out the day.

Takeaways

1. Hongshan Forest Zoo has a wide range of animals and many naturalistic enclosures — plan for a full, unhurried day.
2. The hippo, orangutan, flamingo, elephant, tiger, and meerkat areas are all worth lingering at, and they photograph well too.
3. Building in a snack break midway helps keep kids' energy and mood up for the second half.
4. If you still have energy after the zoo, a walk at nearby Mochou Lake Park makes for an easy, relaxed way to close the day.