Top 10 Most Beautiful Forests in China
By admin on 2015-01-26

1.Mixed coniferous broad-leaved forest of Changbai Mountain, Heilongjiang
Mixed coniferous broad-leaved forests dominated by Korean pines are the most typical forest type in Northeast China. Heilongjiang Province established Fenglin Nature Reserve in the south of the Lesser Khingan Ranges in 1958, where 80 percent of China's Korean pines grow. The Korean pine, which reaches a mature height of 30-40 meters, is a unique tree species in the northeast of China. A popular ornamental tree in parks and large gardens where the climate is cold, it is also a good architectural material and its seeds contain 70 percent oil. With an area of 18,400 hectares, the Fengtai Nature Reserve contains 568 kinds of plants and has become a nature museum for biologists to research this kind of forest ecosystem.

2. Picea schrenkiana forest of Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang
The picea schrenkiana, a kind of coniferous evergreen, is a unique species on Tianshan Mountains. Its needles, or leaves, are slightly bent and its pine cones are shaped like an eclipse. It is said to have been transferred from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau 40 million years ago and have evolved into a unique tree species in the northwest of China. These trees cover 90 percent of Tianshan Mountains and are most luxuriant on Nalati Mountain along Yili Lake, where they grow up to 60 meters and are commonly more than 300-400 years old. Their roots grow deep into the soil to absorb water, and each mature tree can store 2.5 tons of water.

3. Tropical rainforest of Jianfeng Mountain, Hainan
With an area of 447 square kilometers, the tropical rainforest of Jianfeng Mountain is located in the north of Sanya on Hainan Island. It is the largest and best-preserved tropical rainforest in China. The lake on the mountain keeps an average temperature of 19-24.5 degrees Celsius, which makes it a good resort in the summer. The forest contains 75 percent of Hainan's vegetation, including 78 kinds of rare vegetations under state protection and hundreds of rare commercial tree species. It has also been named a "Paradise of Wild Animals," in which 68 kinds of mammals, 215 kinds of birds, 400 kinds of butterflies, 4,000 kinds of insects, 38 kinds of amphibians and 50 kinds of reptiles live.

4. Alpine cuckoo forest of Baima Snow Mountain, Yunnan
With an area of 190,144 hectares, the Baima Snow Mountain is located in Deqin County of Yunnan Province. The Baima Snow Mountain was confirmed as a national nature reserve in 1988 to protect the alpine coniferous forest, the altitudinal belt of mountainous vegetation and the golden monkey.

　　The reserve is located in the Hengduan Mountains and contains 20 mountains above 5,000 meters. The vegetation is distributed vertically in the mountains and there are up to 16 vegetation belts within no more than 40 kilometers.

5. Linzhi spruce forest of Bomigang Village, Tibet
With an area of 4,600 hectares, the Linzhi spruce forest of Bomigang Village is located in Zhamu County of Tibet. The forests cover 61 percent of the area. It was listed as a coniferous nature reserve in 1984. Bomigang Village is located in the northeast of Brahmaputra, where the special geographical location brings abundant rain and mild temperature. The vegetation changes as the altitude of the mountain rises. The forests flourish in the area and produce abundant lumber. Each hectare of the forest can produce 2,400 square meters, three times as much as the forests in Northeast China. The trees are 300-400 years old, have trunk diameters between 1.5-2.5 meters and can reach a height of 75-80 meters. The forest is the most productive dark coniferous forest in the world.

6. Tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan
With an area of some 2,402 square kilometers, the tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna is located in Yunnan Province. It is the only well-preserved tropical rainforest in the world. There are many forest types in the area, as well as eight vegetation types and 3,500 plants, among which there are 58 kinds of rare vegetation under state protection. The rainforest is one of genetic gene banks where tropical vegetations are most concentrated, which is very important for science research.

7. Luntai diversiform-leaved poplar forest, Xinjiang
Luntai County is situated at the southern foot of Tianshan Mountain, on the north border of Tarim Basin. Here lies the 26,000-hectare forest of diversiform-leaved poplars, which is the largest in area and density as well as the best-preserved of its kind in the world. The forest vegetation is typical of the Tarim River Basin, distributed in both the upper and lower valleys. Despite its simple structure, the trees bear distinctly the imprint of the characteristics of the region. The name of this kind of poplar tree means "the most beautiful tree" in the Uygur language. It is also called "the hero in the desert" thanks to its vigor and ability to withstand drought, sand and wind. The poplars, along with many other desert plants, are a revelation about life and death. Bathed in the glow of the rising and setting sun, they produce a sense of mystery and bring hope and vitality to people.

8. Maolan karst forest in Libo, Guizhou
The Maolan National Nature Reserve lies in southeast Libo County, Guizhou Province. The reserve covers an area of 21,100 hectares and the forest coverage rate is up to about 88 percent. According to statistics, the karst forest is a rare original forest to survive with Central Asian tropical karst features. The forest and karst formations create an ecological system of profound scientific value. It provides a natural science museum of karst formations for scientific research as well as particularly fascinating scenery. Unlike most other karst scenic areas, which are usually barren, the Maolan forest integrates hills, waters, underground caves and green trees, presenting a beautiful picture.

9. Latchen forest in the Daxing'an Mountains, Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia
The deciduous coniferous forest in the north Daxing'an Mountains of China is the southern extension of the deciduous coniferous forest system of southeastern Siberia. The elevation of Daxing'an Mountains is about 600 to 1,000 meters, with some peaks reaching as high as 1,400 meters. The average temperature in the region is from 1.2 degrees Celsius below zero to five degrees Celsius, and the annual precipitation is 400 to 600 millimeters.

The vegetation in the region varies with the rise in altitude, showing distinctly the phenomenon of vertical differentiation.

10. Shunan bamboo forest, Yibin, Sichuan
The Shunan Bamboo Sea is located in Yibin of southern Sichuan Province. Covering over 4,000 hectares with a vast plantation of bamboo, the site has been a rare and famous scenic area since ancient times. Literally a world of different types of bamboo trees covering over 500 hills, the forest stretches as far as the eye can see and fills the air with the fragrance of bamboo. Favorable mild temperatures year-round make it an ideal tourist destination. Among the ocean of bamboo lies a narrow five-kilometer path. Walking along this "Jade Green Corridor", the fresh air and sound of the green waves rustling in the wind create a heavenly experience.