Objective To provide scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of forest bathing as a natural therapy on human hypertension.Methods Twenty-four elderly patients with essential hypertension were randomly divided into two groups consisting of 12 each.One group was sent to a broad-leaved evergreen forest to experience a 7-day/7-night trip,and the other was sent to a city area in Hangzhou for control.Blood pressure indicators,cardiovascular disease-related pathological factors including endothelin-I,homocysteine,rennin,angiotensinogen,angiotensin H,angiotensin Ⅱ type 1(AT1) receptor,angiotensin Ⅱ type 2 (AT2) receptor as well as inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were detected.Meanwhile,POMS evaluation was used to assess the change of mood state of subjects.In addition,the air quality in the two experimental sits was monitored during the 7-day duration,simultaneously.