Fanjing Mountain

Fanjing Mountain is a national nature reserve in China and also a World Natural Heritage site. Located in Tongren, Guizhou, it is the main peak of the Wuling Mountains, with the highest altitude of 2572 meters. It is one of the first places in southern China to have risen from the sea to become land. To this day, the mountain top still retains geological wonders from 1.4 billion years ago. Fanjing Mountain is also the region with the richest biodiversity at the same latitude globally and is known as the 'gene bank of biological resources.' It is home to more than 7100 species of wild flora and fauna and is the only habitat for the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey. In 2018, Fanjing Mountain was listed as China's 13th World Natural Heritage site. Fanjing Mountain, named after the 'Brahma's Pure Land,' is located at the junction of Yinjiang, Jiangkou, and Songtao (southwestern part) counties in Tongren City, Guizhou Province. It is the main peak of the Wuling Mountains, a Buddhist and Taoist sanctuary, and a nature reserve in China. The total area of Fanjing Mountain is 775.14 square kilometers, with a heritage site area of 402.75 square kilometers and a buffer zone area of 372.39 square kilometers. The main conservation targets are rare wild animals and plants such as the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey and Davidia involucrata, as well as the primitive forest ecosystem. The forest coverage rate is 97.6%, with more than 2000 plant species, 31 national protected plants, 801 animal species, and 19 national protected animals, acclaimed as the 'Earth's Oasis,' 'Gene Bank of Flora and Fauna,' and 'Precious Heritage of Mankind.' Fanjing Mountain was rated as a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction on October 17, 2018, a national nature reserve, one of China's top ten summer retreat mountains on June 30, 2008, a famous Maitreya Bodhisattva sanctuary in China, a member of the International 'Man and the Biosphere Programme' (MAB), and also a World Natural Heritage site recognized by the 42nd World Heritage Committee. On July 2, 2018, Fanjing Mountain in Guizhou Province, China, was approved to be included in the World Natural Heritage list at the World Heritage Committee held in Manama, Bahrain.