the vista chinesa, or chinese view, is located within the tijuca forest, which is known for its abundance of wildlife and also for being the second largest urban forest in the world.

tijuca forest spans over 12 square miles of mountainous terrain and has undergone a massive reforestation process after thousands of trees were cut down to make way for sugar cane and coffee plantations in colonial times.

the forest divides the south, north, west, and central zones of rio de janeiro and is part of parque nacional da tijuca, which is made up of 4 sectors including tijuca forest, the carioca, pedra bonita / pedra da gávea and liners black / covanca.