Abstract: [Objective] To guide soundscape design for public urban sites by exploring design techniques in forest soundscape.[Methods] The soundscape of Meiling National Forest Park was studied through field investigation and questionnaire survey in order to evaluate single sound source and overall soundscape. The single sound source evaluation method is to evaluate reviewers' subjective preferences of the 26 sounds provided by the questionnaire with the feeling of being there. The evaluation was graded in 5 levels, and the degree of preference was determined by statistical means. The overall evaluation of the soundscape in four seasons was based on loudness, coordination, comfort, and satisfaction. First, the results of each indicator in the four seasons were counted, and the mean value method was used to compare the trends of each indicator in the four seasons, and to understand the subjective evaluation of the overall soundscape by tourists in the four seasons.[Results] Visitors have different degrees of preference for different sound sources in different seasons. According to the types of soundscape, the degree of preference was expressed in a rank as natural sounds > historical and cultural sounds > artificial sounds > mechanical sounds. The evaluation of the overall soundscape indicated that the tourists had high satisfaction with the soundscape of the Meiling Forest Park. For four seasons, loudness, coordination, and comfort all affected the evaluation of overall satisfaction, the higher the degree of coordination and comfort, the higher the overall satisfaction. The higher the loudness in spring and summer, the lower the satisfaction, while the degree of satisfaction in autumn and winter was not related to the loudness.[Conclusions] In the later forest landscape planning and soundscape design and construction, the impact of sound loudness on people should be taken into account. The overall soundscape satisfaction can be improved by increasing favorite sound sources such as birds and running water, and isolating or avoiding annoying sound sources such as whistles and construction noises.

Key words: forest park, soundscape, subjective evaluation, sound source