Baima Snow Mountain Nautre Reserve

The Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, is situated on the central part of the Hengduan Mountains, on the slope of the section between the Baima Snow Mountain, the major peak in the north of the Yunling Ranges, and Renzhi Snow Mountain. It is between Deqen County of the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Markam County in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The Yunling Ranges are the source of the Lancang and Jinsha rivers. Above 4,000 metres, the mountains are covered in snow all year round. A great number of well-preserved primitive forests can also be found here. Highland oak birch, Yunnan pine, George's fir, snow-white rhododendron, and vitchleaf sophora are the main plants in the reserve. There are 47 species of animals in the reserve.

The most famous is the snub-nosed monkey or the Yunnan golden monkey, which lives in the sub-high mountain dark pine coniferous tree forests. Among all the monkeys, the snub-nosed monkeys are the one species living on the highest altitudes between 3,200 and 4,000 meters.

For conservation of the typical vertical spectrum of natural mountain landscape in the Hengduan Mountains and soil and water at the upper reaches of the Jinshajiang River, the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, covering an area of 190,000 hectares. It was established in 1983 on the slopes of the Baima I Snow Mountain and Renzhi Snow Mountain along the Jinshajiang River in Deqin County. Yunnan Province.

In the Reserve, there are 20peaks of more than 5.000 meters above sea level. among which the highest is the Baima (White Horse) Snow Mountain towering 5.430 meters above sea level.

Varying as the altitude rises, the climate of the Reserve features exothermic river valley and high frigid mountains. Its vertical spectrum of natural mountain landscape is very clear; each belt has different features. With a variety of biotic species, the Reserve is an ideal habitat of the Guizhou golden monkey. There are 47 species of usual mammals, 45 species of birds, and some animals peculiar to the Hengduan Mountains. Such as lesser panda and green-tailed monal. As well as other rare wild animals at higher altitudes, such as snow leopard, white - eared pheasant, horse musk deer.etc.

With vast virgin forests, complete natural ecosystem and ideal habitats for wild animals, the Reserve has an important scientific value in multidisciplinary researches of natural ecology, forestry, zoology, botany, geology, hydrology, pedology and meteorology.