Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve of Hunan Province     

Located in the east of Dayong City,Hunan Province, Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve covers a total area of 13,300 hectares. The Reserve is the first national forest park, some 95% of which is covered by forests. Belonging to Wuling Mountain Range, the Reserve is characterized by 2,000 peaks in fancy shapes being eroded or weathered for so many years. It is a famous scenic spot. Due to its subtropical monsoon damp climate, primitive forests and secondary forests grow here where many rare wildlife are preserved. In the Reserve, there are more than 500 species of ligneous plants, among them, precious and endemic plants including ginkgo, Chinese tulip, dove tree and Katsura tree, etc. In addition, there are 27 species of beasts, 41 species of birds. Musk deer, civet, blue sheep, giant salamander and other animals are listed under the state protection. Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve is included in World Nature Heritage.

 Lushan Nature Reserve of Jiangxi Province      

Located in the south of Jiujiang City, north of Jiangxi Province, Lushan Nature Reserve covers a total area of 30,466 hectares. The highest peak of Lushan Mountain is 1,474 meters above sea level. Its main protection targets are forest ecosystem, cultural heritages, glacier features and natural landscape. More than 40 species of plants found here are either rare or local special species including Katsura tree, Manglietia fordiana, Chinese tulip and eucommia. Animals under the state protection are leopard, giant salamander, civet, python, pangolin, Hydropotes inermis, muntjac, silver pheasant, white crane, mandarin duck and so on. In addition, there are 26 ancient glacier heritages such as cirque, icehouse and deep valleys. In December1996, the Lushan Reserve was listed as World Nature Heritage.

 Xianghai Nature Reserve of Jilin Province     Xianghai Nature Reserve with an area of 10,546 hectares is located in the boundaries of Tongyu County of Jilin Province. Established in 1981 with approval of the Jilin Provincial Government, the Reserve was promoted to be a national nature reserve in 1986, and was listed as a Wetland of International Importance in 1992. The main protection targets are rare birds, such as white stork and crane, etc., and elm trees. The main landscape of the Reserve is marshland, desert short forest. The Reserve has many lakes and various vegetation types such as reed marsh, Leymus chinensis grassland, shrub with sparse trees, dune with elm trees etc. The natural environment and abundant bio-resources support various types of wildlife, especially, many birds. In the light of preliminary investigation, there are more than 200 species of birds, including state protected species such as Grus japonensis, G. Leucogeranus, G. Vipio, G. Grus, Platalea leucorodia etc. Every spring, they fly here in groups. And therefore, the Reserve has become the important breeding place. It is also an important base for protection and research of biodiversity.

 Zhalong Nature Reserve of Heilongjiang Province     

Located in the lower reaches of Wuyu'er River, west of Heilongjiang Province, and 30 kilometers away from Mudanjiang City, Zhalong Nature Reserve covers 40,000 square kilometers and is covered by forests. As part of Wuling Mountains, the Reserve is characterized by 2,000 peaks in fancy shapes being eroded or weathered for so many years. It is a famous scenic spot. Due to its subtropical monsoon damp climate, primitive forests and secondary forests grow here where many precious wildlife are preserved. In the Reserve, there are more than 500 species of ligneous plants, among which either rare or local special plants include ginkgo, Chinese tulip, dove tree and Katsura tree, etc. and more than 20 species are protected by the state. The Reserve has 6 crane species such as red-crown cranes, white cranes, G. Vipio, Anthropoides virgo, while there are only 15 species in the whole world. In the Reserve, there are over 500 red-crown cranes, accounting for one quarter of the total in the world. Therefore, the Reserve is called as Home to Cranes. In addition to cranes, the Reserve boasts swans, egrets and other rare birds.

 Poyang Lake Nature Reserve of Jiangxi Province     

In southern Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province and at the foot of Lushan Mountain lies Poyang Lake, the biggest freshwater lake in China. Poyang Lake Nature Reserve covers a total area of 22,400 hectares. Its protection targets are white cranes, egrets and other rare birds. It has been listed as a Wetland of International Importance.

According to related investigation, the Reserve provides shelters for a million birds of258 species, of which over40such as egrets, white cranes, white-crown cranes, great bustards, golden eagles and swans areput under the first-grade and second-grade state protection. It is known as the world's largest nature reserve for white cranes to live through the winter. Some 95% white cranes in the world may fly here to escape the winter cold. Up to now, Poyang Lake is also the habitat for migratory birds in the world to spend their winter. Therefore, Poyang Lake becomes an important reserve for the protection and research of birds.   

 East Dongting Lake Nature Reserve of Hunan Province       

Located in the boundaries of Yueyang City, Hunan Province, East Dongting Lake Nature Reserve covers an area of 190,300 hectares. The Reserve has been listed as a Wetland of International Importance. Its main protection targets are wetland and rare bird species.

The Reserve is part of Dongting Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in China. Affected by the Yantze River and Xiang Water System, marshland, swamp, shoal and so on have been formed. At the same time, materials brought by floodwaters are deposited, which provide favorable conditions for aquatic wildlife to live and breed. Since the Reserve lies in the reproduction area of migratory birds of the winter and the summer, it is rich in bird species. There are 158 species of migratory birds and 10 species including white cranes are put under the first-grade state protection, 27 species such as swans under the second-grade state protection. Such mammals as white-flag dolphin and black finless porpoise can often be spotted in the lake. The Reserve also boasts 20 fish species of economic value such as Chinese Paddlefish.

 Qinghai Lake Nature Reserve of Qinghai Province      

Qinghai Lake Nature Reserve with an area of 495,200 hectares is located in the boundaries of Gangcha, Haiyan and Gonghe counties of Qinghai Province. Established in 1975 with the approval of the Qinghai Provincial Government, the Reserve was listed as a Wetland of International Importance in 1992. The main protection targets are rare birds and plateau wetland ecosystem.

The Reserve is located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Qinghai Lake as a main body is surrounded by lakeside plain, grassy swamp, alpine grassy marshland, semi-desert and dry grassy beach. It is dry and cold in the Reserve. The winter lasts longer and the summer shorter with big disparity of temperature. Qinghai Lake Nature Reserve has abundant wetland ecosystem and bio-resources. There are altogether 200 species of birds and beasts in Qinghai Lake and lakeside area. As a plateau lake, it is the kingdom of birds. In spring and summer, some 100,000 birds mainly including gulls, cormorants, swans and blank-necked cranes fly to the Reserve to go through the summer. Qinghai Lake also boasts abundant fish resources, some of which serve as good food for birds there.

 Dongzhaigang Nature Reserve of Hainan Province      

Dongzhaigang Nature Reserve is located in the northeast of Qiongshan City, Hainan Province. Established in 1980 with the approval of the Hainan Provincial Government, the Reserve was listed as a Wetland of International Importance in 1992. The main protection target is mangrove forest ecosystem. Dongzhaigang Nature Reserve covers a total area of 3,337.6 hectares, among which mangrove forest accounts for 2,065 hectares.

The mangrove forest is special plant community distributed in tropic and sub-tropic coast area. In China, it is just distributed in specific area of southern coastal provinces. The Reserve boasts the largest the number of mangrove species in China. In the preservation zone, there are 16 families and 32 species such as Rhizophora stylosa, Kandelia candel, Aegiceras corniculatum and Avicennia marina. Dongzhaigang is therefore an important conservation spot for mangroves. According to statistics, there are 159 species of birds such as egrets and ducks in the Reserve. Dongzhaigang is also the good habitat of marine animals, mainly including fish, shrimps, and shellfish such as sipunculid worm, perch and oyster.

 Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve of Anhui Province     

Located in the boundaries of Guangde, Xuanzhou, Nanling, Langxi and Jingxian counties of Xuanzhou City, Anhui Province, Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve covers an area of 44,300 hectares. Its main protection targets are Chinese alligator, special Chinese reptile and its habitat.

The Reserve lies in the temperate zone with four distinct seasons and plenty of rain. The Reserve, traversed by Shuiyang River and Qingyi River and surrounded by many ponds, ditches, gullies and dykes, is the ideal habitat for Chinese alligators to live and breed. The Chinese alligator and crocodile in the Mississippi are the only two extant crocodilian species living in freshwater in the world, and they are small in number. Chinese alligators are listed as the first-grade state protected animals. The Xuanzhou City Government set up a breeding and research center for Chinese alligators, which covers an area of 100 hectares. With over ten years of efforts, the artificial propagation of Chinese alligators has been achieved. More than 4,000 Chinese alligators are living freely in the breeding center, and thus the ancient species gets well preserved.

 Tian'ezhou White-Flag Dolphin Nature Reserve of Hubei Province      Located in the boundaries of Shisheng City of Hubei Province, the Tian'ezhou White-Flag Dolphin Nature Reserve covers an area of 2,000 hectares. Established in 1990 with the approval of the Hubei Provincial Government, the Reserve was promoted to a national reserve in 1992. The main protection targets are white-flag dolphins and their habitat. The white-flag dolphin, a rare mammal on the verge of extinction in the Yangtze River, is a first-grade state protected animal.

Tian'ezhou lies in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River with a length of 20.9 kilometers and its surface covers an area of 18-20 square kilometers. The flood season in Tian'ezhou is almost the same as that of the Yangtze River. Tian'ezhu remains unpolluted and the advantageous hydrologic conditions, making the Reserve a proper habitat for white-flag dolphin. The Reserve is an important site for the protection and convalescence of white-flag dolphins. At present, relocation for protection of white 　flag dolphins is being carried out.

 Songshan Nature Reserve in Beijing       Songshan Nature Reserve is situated in the northwest of Yanqing County, Beijing. And it is on the Jundu Mountain in the depths of Yanshan Mountains. It was listed by the State Council as a state-level nature reserve in 1986 for its special geographical position, well preserved natural environment and abundant animal and plant resources. Covering an area of 4,660 hectares, the Reserve mainly protects natural Chinese pine trees (Pinus tabulaeformis) and temperate forest ecosystem as a whole. The Reserve boasts the only Chinese Pine forest in North China. In addition, the broadleaved forest consists of Chinese lindens, elm trees, birches and other broadleaved trees. There are more than 600 species of seed plants and 70 species of higher animals including some animals under the state protection such as leopards and gorals. The Reserve is about 90 kilometers away from Beijing, the capital of China. It is of very important protection value.

 Paleocoastal Nature Reserve in Tianjin       Paleocoastal Nature Reserve, covering an area of 900 hectares, is located in the boundaries of Jixian County of Tianjin Municipality. It is the first state-level nature reserve with geological sections in China. The Reserve has attracted world attention since its establishment for its complete rock stratums, simple construction and Paleozoic fossils, etc. The Reserve has been identified as a standard Paleocoastal section. The section is 9,197 meters thick, which demonstrates the history of geological evolution from 1,850 million years to 850 million years ago. In the rock stratum with geological age of 1,400 million to 1,200 million years ago, microorganism rare seen in the world has been discovered. This discovery has greatly moved up the birth date of microorganism. Therefore, the Reserve is most scientifically valuable.

 Ke'erqin Nature Reserve of Inner Mongolia      Ke'erqin Nature Reserve with an area of 126,987 hectares lies in the boundaries of Ke'erqin, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The main protection targets are rare birds, wetland and typical natural landscape. Forest, shrub and grassland as well as river, lake and marshland form a complex environment. There are 452 species of higher plants and 167 species of birds in the Reserve, among which 34 are protected animals. The Reserve is also an important reproduction spot for red-crown cranes, white stocks, great bustards and other rare birds.

 Snakes Island and Laotieshan Nature Reserve of Liaoning Province     

Located in Lushunkou District of Dalian City in Liaoning Province, the Reserve comprises of Snakes Island and Laotieshan Mountain with a total area of 17,000 hectares. Its main protection targets are Pallas pit vipers, migratory birds and habitats of those species. Snakes Island is an ideal reproduction spot for Pallas pit vipers, with nearly 20,000 Pallas pit vipers on it. Laotieshan Mountain is one of the main passages for migratory birds from Northeast Asia. In September and October every year, millions of migratory birds of over 200 species fly to the Laotieshan Nature Reserve with and take a one-month rest and then go further south. Among them, red-crown cranes, swans and mandarin duck are national protected wildlife.

 Guniujiang Nature Reserve of Anhui Province        Located in the boundaries of Qimen and Shitai counties in Anhui Province, and west of Huangshan Mountains, Guniujiang Nature Reserve covers an area of 14,821 hectares. Its main protection target is evergreen broadleaved forest in the mid subtropical zone. The Reserve has preserved relatively intact evergreen broadleaved forest, which is the representative of its kind in Wannan mountainous area. There is a great variety of wildlife in the Reserve, including over 500 species of xylophyta such as Chinese tulips under the state protection, and over 200 species of higher animals. More than 10 species of animals such as sika and white-necked pheasant are put under the state protection. The Reserve is an important species database and research center.

 Dafeng Milu Nature Reserve of Jiangsu Province        Dafeng Milu Natural Reserve is located in a coastal region with little human settlement. Covering an area of 3,000 hectares, the Reserve is mainly to protect Milu -- Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) and its habitat. In August 1986, organized by the Ministry of Forestry and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a group of 39 Père David's deer was selected from 7 zoological gardens in the United Kingdom, with the deer mainly from the Whipsnad Wild Animal Park. The Reserve had 268 Père David's deer after a decade's effort. In addition to Père David's deer, 19 more species such as Greater Swan and Helu are listed as the first-grade state protected animals. The Reserve also bears 95 species listed in Sino-Japan Agreement on Migratory Bird Protection and therefore it is an important place for birds of passage to live through the winter.

 Huaping Nature Reserve of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region       Located at the juncture of Longsheng and Lingui counties of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Huaping Nature Reserve covers an area of 17,400 hectares. The main protection targets are China firs and mid subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. The Reserve is in monsoon climate of subtropical zone. The vegetation here is featured by evergreen broadleaved forest. There are 1,114 species of higher plants and 12 of them are under the state protection. There are more than 1,000 China firs. The Reserve boasts 118 species of higher animals and some of them are national protected animals such as rhesus monkeys and musk deer.

 Kekexili Nature Reserve of Qinghai Province         Located in the boundaries of Zhiduo County and Qumalai County of Qinghai Province, Kekexili Nature Reserve covers an area of 4.5 million hectares. It mainly protects indigenous wildlife of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and their habitat. Primitive ecosystem is preserved intact in the Reserve. There are 202 species of higher plants, and 84 of them are special local plants of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Kekexili Nature Reserve is the habitat for rare animals. There are 16 species of mammals and about 30 species of birds. 18 species of them are indigenous animals to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Snow leopards, golden eagles, gorals and yaks are put under the state protection.

 Sanya Coral Reef Nature Reserve in Hainan Province       Located in the boundaries of Sanya City, Hainan Province, Sanya Coral Reef Nature Reserve covers an area of 4,000 hectares. Its main protection target is coral reef ecosystem. The Reserve is in the north tropical zone. The seawater there is limpid and transparent, and in the water there are more than 100 species of reef corals. There are other species of marine wildlife such as fish, shrimp, shell and algae. Among the coral communities many are rare species with characteristic of typical fringing reefs. Therefore, the Reserve has special research and tourism value.

 Taibai Mountain Nature Reserve of Shaanxi Province       Located at the juncture of Taibai, Mei and Zhouzhi counties of Shaanxi Province, Taibai Mountain Nature Reserve was established in 1986 with an area of 56,325 hectares. The main protection targets are forest ecosystem and historical remains. The Reserve lies in the transitional region of North China, Central China and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which results in an obvious vertical vegetation zone. There are more than 2,000 species of higher plants, and 21 of them such as Katsura tree and Chinese Larch are under the state protection. The Reserve boasts over 270 species of higher animals, over 20 of them are protected by the state, including giant panda, takin and leopard. In the alpine region with an altitude of 3,000 meters or more glacier heritages of the Quaternary Period are preserved fairly well.

 Altun Mountain Nature Reserve of Xinjiang      

Altun Mountain Nature Reserve with an area of 4,500,000 hectares lies in Qarkilik (Ruoqiang) County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It mainly protects primitive alpine ecosystem and rare animals such as wild asses and wild yaks. Plants in the Reserve are featured by their geological location from Central Asian desert to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in light of their species and distribution. There are over 300 species of higher plants and 63 species of higher animals. Some of the animals living in great numbers are under the state protection such as wild yak, wild ass, antelope, black-necked crane and snow leopard. 

 Motuo Nature Reserve in Tibet         The Motuo Nature Reserve with an area of 62,620 hectares lies in Motuo County of Tibet Autonomous Region. The Reserve mainly protects its mountain forests and rare plants and animals. The Reserve is located in the great canyon of the loops of Yarlung Zangbo River. Special geological location makes the Reserve rich in various mountain forest vegetation types in tropical and cold temperate zones. There are more than 3,000 species of higher plants, which account one tenth of the total in China. 21 species of animals including takin, Assamese macaque and tiger are under the state protection. In addition, over 40 indigenous species of plants are named after Motuo. Motuo Nature Reserve is an important research center of ecosystems in different climate zone.