Destinations: Nature Reserves

China has a vast territory and broad sea area. Natural conditions are complex and varied. China has set up 1757 nature reserves of all kinds with a total area of 132.945 million hectares by the end of 2002, accounting for 13.2 percent of the national territory; well over the world average, according to the latest statistics by the State Environmental Protection Administration. Today there are 870 forest parks, 171 zoos and animal's exhibits, and 111 botanic gardens, effectively conserving more than 6000 animals and 1000 plants. The number of giant panda has increased to about 1000.

Although, China is one of the countries with the richest biodiversity, but it is also one in which biodiversity has been most seriously destroyed and is still threatened. Visitors notice that few birds are to be seen whether around tourist sites or on journeys through the countryside.

However, some of the following reserves are still unique to China or at least rare in other countries.

Useful Links:
- State Environmental Protection Administration

- World Wide Fund for Nature, China

- Chinese Man and Biosphere Committee

- Environmental Information Centre, SEPA

Bayinbuluke Swan Nature Reserve, Xinjiang Autonomous Region

Nearest city: Yining
The region lies on the Baiyinbuluke grassland beside Tiangeer Peak of Tianshan, where the altitude is more than 2400 m. Surrounded by mountains, the reserve is a mountainous high basin. The famous "Swan Lake", which lies in the southeast part of the basin, is composed of many linked small lakes and big marshes. Crisscrossed rivers, rich bio-resources and calm environment are the scenery of the region. Thousands of rare birds such as swan, get here around April every year to breed.

Bayinbuluke Swan Nature Reserve

Bogeda Nature Reserve, Xinjiang Autonomous Region

Nearest city: Fukang
This biosphere reserve encompasses glaciers, (sub-) alpine meadows, forests, steppes, deserts, sand dunes and alluvial plains. One habitat of special interest is the mid-mountain forest, which prevents floods and erosion and represents an important water reservoir for the area.

Bogeda Nature Reserve

Boyang Lake Rare Birds Reserve, Jiangxi Province

Nearest city: Jiujiang
Boyang Lake is China's largest fresh-water lake. Boyang Lake Rare Birds Reserve is a swamp of the lake formed by a dozen of marshes, ponds, bends, streams, branching lakes etc., covering an area of about 90 square kilo-meters. The zone with rich growths of grass and abundant water and aquatic products, is the largest winter habitat for migratory-birds in the world. It is the winter home of over 90% of the world's white Cranes.

Boyang Lake Rare Birds Reserve

Cangshan Mountain & Erhai Lake Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province

Nearest city: Kunming
This ridge of mountains shadowing Erhai Lake from the west has 19 peaks with 18 streams between each peak cascading down through terraced pools to water the plain below. The mountain flowers from a spectacular display: camellias, cherry blossoms, lilies, azaleas, numerous kinds of cactus and many of them can be found only in and around Dali.

Cangshan Mountain & Erhai Lake Nature Reserve

Changbaishan Mountain Nature Reserve, Jilin Province

Nearest city: Yanji
Changbaishan is a place with typical volcano topography, which is seldom seen in China. The highest peak of the reserve with altitude of 2770 m is also known as roof of the northeastern region. Targets of protection in the reserve include temporal forest ecosystem, natural heritage and rare plants and animals.

Changbaishan Mountain Nature Reserve

Dinghushan National Nature Reserve, Guangdong Province

Nearest city: Zhaoqing
It is the first reserve in China and established in 1956 after the approval of the State Council. The reserve joined the "Man and Biosphere" reserve network of UNESCO in 1980, and its main targets for protection are evergreen broad-leafed forests of south sub-tropic zone and rare plants and animals.

Dinghushan National Nature Reserve

Fanjinshan Mountain Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province

Nearest city: Guiyang
The main targets for protection in the region are sub-tropical forest ecosystem and rare animals and plants, such as Rhinopithecus spp. and Divida involucrata etc. The reserve joined the "Man and Biosphere" reserve network of UNESCO in the 1986.

Fanjinshan Mountain Nature Reserve

Fenglin Forest Nature Reserve, Helongjiang Province

Nearest city: Yichun
The region is located at the south slope of XiaoXingAnLing, and the zonal vegetation is temperate mixed forest of coniferous and broad-leafed trees. Main vegetation types include Korean Pine forest, Spruce and Fir forest and Larch forest. Among them, the coverage of Korean Pine forest is the largest, for which the storage is about 2/3 of the total.

Fenglin Forest Nature Reserve

Huanglong Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province

Nearest city: Chengdu
The area has already been noted for its biodiversity hotspot, part of it being inscribed as a Natural World Heritage site in 1992. Major wild animals include the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), Rhinopithecus ronellanae and the leopard (Panthera pardus fusca).

Huanglong Nature Reserve

Jiuzhaigou Valley Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province

Nearest city: Chengdu
With its marvelous natural scenery, Jiuzhaigou is the famous resort for tourists worldwide. The reserve had been approved and listed on "World Items for Cultural and Natural Heritage" by UNESCO in 1992. The main targets for protection are panda and forest ecosystem.

Jiuzhaigou Valley Nature Reserve

Maolan Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province

Nearest city: Guiyang
The region is famous for its virgin forest that is well preserved on the Karst landscape, in the middle subtropical zone of China. The main habitats include subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest, subtropical evergreen and deciduous broadleaf mixed forest, agro ecosystems (with rice, rape, sweet potato and medicinal plants) and forestry ecosystems.

Maolan Nature Reserve

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