Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve in Zhangjiajie

Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve (八大公山自然保护区) is located in the northern border area of Sangzhi County (桑植县), Zhangjiajie City (张家界市), Hunan Province (湖南省). Established in 1986 with the approval of the State Council of China (国务院), the reserve aims to protect subtropical forest vegetation and rare wildlife species.

The reserve ranges in altitude from 346 meters to 2,003 meters and is composed of three major forest zones:

  • Doupeng Mountain (斗蓬山)
  • Shanmujie (杉木界)
  • Tianping Mountain (天平山)

Covering a total area of 44,900 hectares, Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve is home to 2,408 species of higher plants from 216 families. Among them, there are:

  • 7 nationally protected first-class plant species
  • 32 nationally protected second-class plant species
  • 10 endemic plant species specific to Badagong Mountain

Additionally, 52 species, including Zhu Orchid (朱兰) and Rock Bean Orchid (石豆兰), are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). With over 1,000 medicinal plant species, the reserve has earned international recognition as a “Green Treasure Trove” (绿色宝库), a “Natural Museum” (天然博物馆), and a “Rare Global Gene Bank of Species” (世界罕见的物种基因库).

On November 30, 2023, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China (国家林业和草原局) included the Badagong Mountain National Nature Reserve in the first batch of Important Habitats for Terrestrial Wildlife (陆生野生动物重要栖息地名录), which took effect on December 1, 2023.

Key Information

  • Chinese Name: 八大公山国家级自然保护区
  • Location: Sangzhi County (桑植县), Zhangjiajie City (张家界市), Hunan Province (湖南省)
  • Total Area: 44,900 hectares
  • Major Forest Areas: Doupeng Mountain (斗蓬山), Shanmujie (杉木界), Tianping Mountain (天平山)
  • Established: 1986, approved by the State Council of China (国务院)
  • Climate: Mountainous humid monsoon climate (山地湿润季风气候)

History

  • 1982: The Hunan Provincial Government (湖南省人民政府) approved the establishment of Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve (八大公山自然保护区).
  • 1986: It was designated as one of China’s first national nature reserves (国家级自然保护区) with the approval of the State Council of China (国务院).
  • 1990: The Zhangjiajie Municipal Government (张家界市人民政府) approved the establishment of the Badagong Mountain National Nature Reserve Management Office (湖南八大公山国家级自然保护区管理处). The office consists of:
    • One administration office
    • Four functional departments: Finance, Resource Protection, Public Security & Firefighting, and Community Co-Management
    • Six field stations: Shanmujie, Doupeng Mountain, Tianping Mountain, Nanmu Ping Inspection Station, Pest Control and Quarantine Station, and Tianping Mountain Virgin Forest Reception Station
    • Two additional offices: Research Institute and Police Station
  • December 2022: The reserve was included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List of Protected Areas (IUCN自然保护地“绿色名录”).

Geographical Environment

Location

Badagong Mountain National Nature Reserve is located in the northern border region of Sangzhi County (桑植县). It lies at the northeastern edge of the ancient Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (云贵高原古陆块) and at the northern end of the Wuling Mountains (武陵山脉).

  • Geographical Coordinates:
    • Longitude: 109°41’45”-110°09’50” East
    • Latitude: 29°39’18”-29°49’48” North

Soil

The exposed geological layers of the reserve primarily belong to the Paleozoic Era, including the Cambrian, Silurian, Devonian, and Permian periods. The bedrock consists mainly of limestone, slate, and shale.

The primary soil types in the reserve include:

  1. Mountain yellow-brown soil (山地黄棕壤)
    • Parent rock: Shale, fine sandstone, siltstone
    • Mainly found above 1,000 meters altitude
    • The most widely distributed soil type in the reserve
  2. Limestone soil (石灰土)
    • Parent rock: Dark gray limestone, marl limestone, leopard-pattern limestone, nodular limestone, dolomitic limestone
  3. Mountain yellow soil (山地黄壤)
    • Found below 1,000 meters altitude
    • Deep and fertile but phosphorus-deficient, with a pH level of 5-6 (acidic soil)

Climate

The reserve experiences a subtropical mountainous humid monsoon climate (亚热带山地湿润季风气候) with notable transitional climatic features between the northern subtropical zone and the warm temperate zone.

  • Annual Average Temperature: 11.5°C
  • Coldest Month (January): 0.1°C
  • Hottest Month (July): 22.8°C
  • Extreme Low Temperature: -10°C to -15°C
  • Frost-Free Period: Approximately 190 days
  • Annual Accumulated Temperature: 3,621.6°C

Precipitation & Humidity

  • Annual Average Precipitation: 2,105.4 mm
    • Maximum recorded: 2,840.1 mm
    • Rainy days: 176 days per year
    • Rainfall increases by 79.3 mm for every 100 meters of elevation gain
    • One of Hunan Province’s three major storm centers (湖南三大暴雨中心之一)
  • Annual Evaporation: 400 mm (about 20% of annual precipitation)
  • Annual Water Outflow: Approximately 450 million cubic meters
  • Annual Relative Humidity: Above 90%
  • Annual Foggy Days: 145 days
  • Annual Solar Radiation: Low

Geographical Features

The Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve (八大公山国家级自然保护区) is situated in the northwestern part of Sangzhi County (桑植县), Zhangjiajie City (张家界市), Hunan Province (湖南省). The northwest is bordered by the mountains of western Hubei Province (鄂西山地), with the Qinba Mountain Range (秦巴山地) further north. To the southwest lies the Eastern Guizhou Plateau (黔东高原), while the southeast features the Wuling (武陵山) and Xuefeng Mountains (雪峰山), and the eastern end gradually slopes down toward the Dongting Lake area (洞庭湖区). This semi-convergent mountain range traps warm, moist air from the south, creating ideal conditions for diverse plant and animal life.

Area and Boundaries

The Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve stretches 45 kilometers from east to west and 16 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 20,000 hectares. It borders Longtanping Town (龙潭坪镇) in Sangzhi County to the east, Bamaoxi Township (芭茅溪乡), Wudaoshui Town (五道水镇), and Badagongshan Township (八大公山乡) to the south, Longshan County (龙山县) in Hunan to the west, and Xuan’en County (宣恩县), Laifeng County (来凤县), and Hefeng County (鹤峰县) in Hubei Province to the north.

Conservation Focus

The Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve is a forest ecological nature reserve focused on the protection of subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forests and their wildlife. The reserve manages 23,468 hectares of key ecological public welfare forests, divided into three main forest areas:

  • Tianping Mountain Forest Area (天平山林区)
  • Shanmujie Forest Area (杉木界林区)
  • Doupeng Mountain Forest Area (斗篷山林区)

The reserve contains a total timber volume of 1.1 million cubic meters, with a forest coverage rate of 93.4%, making it the largest and most well-preserved natural evergreen broad-leaved forest in the subtropical region. It also showcases a unique subtropical mountain forest ecosystem.

Flora

The reserve boasts a rich variety of plant species. Surveys have identified 2,408 species of higher plants from 216 families. Among them:

  • National First-Class Protected Plants: 6 species, including the Dove Tree (珙桐), Handkerchief Tree (光叶珙桐), Chinese Yew (南方红豆杉), Taxus chinensis (红豆杉), Emmenopterys henryi (钟萼木), and Ginkgo (银杏).
  • National Second-Class Protected Plants: 29 species.
  • Endangered Plants: 2 species.
  • Vulnerable Plants: 21 species.
  • Rare Plants: 16 species.
  • Type Specimen Locality Plants: 5 species, including the Sangzhi Linden (桑植椴), Sangzhi Hanging Moss (桑植吊石巨苔), Sangzhi Large-Knot Bamboo (桑植大节竹), Recurved Leaf Dryopteris (修叶啼盖蕨), and Fringed Polystichum (边生鳞毛蕨).

The Badagong Mountain belongs to the Holarctic Floristic Kingdom and falls under the Central China Region of the Sino-Japanese Forest Subregion. The plant composition is influenced by floras from tropical Asia, the North Temperate Zone, Southeast Asia, and East Asia–North America. The vegetation reflects both typical characteristics of the northern subtropics and a transitional zone between subtropical and warm temperate regions, making it a vital intersection for East Asian vegetation and a key site for plant geography research.

Plant distribution is distinctly stratified due to complex terrain and varied altitudes. According to a survey of 30 sample plots covering 27,325 square meters, the main vegetation types include:

  • Coniferous and Broad-leaved Mixed Forest (Needle-Broadleaf Mixed Forest) at 1,500m altitude, dominated by Hemlock (铁杉属).
  • Warm Coniferous Forest at 1,220m altitude, mainly consisting of Chinese Fir (杉木林).
  • Deciduous Broad-leaved Forest at 1,400–1,890m altitude, with Bright-Leaf Beech (亮叶水青冈林) as the main species.
  • Evergreen and Deciduous Broad-leaved Mixed Forest at 1,000–1,400m altitude, with Maple (地锦槭) and Cyclobalanopsis glauca (多脉青冈).
  • Evergreen Broad-leaved Forest below 1,000m altitude.

Fauna

The Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve is home to 237 species of terrestrial vertebrates from 21 orders and 64 families, including:

  • Mammals: 8 orders, 20 families, 45 species.
  • Birds: 9 orders, 27 families, 135 species — including 97 resident birds, 20 summer migratory birds, and 18 winter migratory birds.
  • Reptiles: 2 orders, 10 families, 39 species — including 3 venomous snakes.
  • Amphibians: 2 orders, 7 families, 18 species.
  • Insects: 22 orders, 177 families, 4,175 species — including 34 newly discovered species and 411 natural enemy insects from 12 orders and 58 families.

The reserve contains 86 species of national key protected and endangered animals from 15 orders and 28 families, including:

  • National First-Class Protected Animals: 5 species — Leopard (金钱豹), Clouded Leopard (云豹), Forest Musk Deer (林麝), White-crowned Long-tailed Pheasant (白冠长尾雉), and Golden Eagle (金雕).
  • National Second-Class Protected Animals: 51 species — such as Rhesus Macaque (猕猴), Tufted Deer (毛冠鹿), Sumatran Serow (苏门羚), Sambar Deer (水鹿), Chinese Giant Salamander (大鲵), and Temminck’s Tragopan (红腹角雉).
  • Provincial Key Protected Animals: 20 species.
  • Endemic Species of the Badagong Mountain Reserve: 12 species.

In 1991, UN wildlife experts confirmed the presence of the South China Tiger (华南虎) within the reserve based on the discovery of its feces and footprints.

Landform Landscape

The Badagong Mountain (八大公山) features towering peaks, overlapping mountain ranges, and deep valleys. There are 351 peaks with elevations exceeding 1,000 meters, with the highest peak reaching 1,890.4 meters and the lowest at 395 meters, highlighting the dramatic elevation differences and the mountain’s majestic presence.

Looking up from the foot of the mountain, the peaks rise into the clouds, standing in serried ranks, appearing like smoky ink brush strokes. Within the forest, nature’s artistry has created fascinating sights such as the “Sky Crevice” (一线天), “Lion Rock” (狮子岩), and “Chessboard Rock” (棋盘岩), which captivate visitors and inspire awe.

The reserve contains over 40 mountain ranges crisscrossing the land, with 599 peaks scattered like stars. The mountain formations are strikingly varied — some peaks are as sharp as blades, others curve like ox horns, some stand straight like pen shafts, and others resemble ox whips. Underground karst caves boast impressive rock formations, with shapes mimicking human and animal figures, showcasing nature’s uncanny craftsmanship.

Hydrological Features

The Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve (八大公山自然保护区) is the source of the Li River (澧水), Lou River (娄水), and the Qing River (清江) in Hubei Province. The reserve contains 352 streams of varying sizes, with the diverse topography creating a wide array of water landscapes.

Waterfalls add a vibrant touch to the scenery, with notable ones like the “Lover’s Waterfall” (情人瀑), “Rainbow Waterfall” (彩虹瀑), and “Black Dragon Waterfall” (乌龙瀑) decorating the lush greenery. These 521 waterfalls elevate the enchanting beauty of Badagong Mountain.

Cultural Landscape

The reserve’s cultural and tourism resources are mainly found in the areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, including the Tujia (土家族), Bai (白族), Miao (苗族), Hui (回族), and Zhuang (壮族) peoples. These groups coexist peacefully, farming and living in harmony, having developed unique lifestyles and ethnic customs over generations.

Some of the preserved traditional customs and cultural practices include:

  • “Crying Marriage” (哭嫁)
  • “Funeral Dance” (跳丧舞)
  • “Hand-Waving Dance” (摆手舞)
  • “Antiphonal Singing” (对山歌)
  • “Three-stick Drum” (三棒鼓)
  • “Moon Festival” (月办节)
  • “Da Liuzi Dance” (打溜子)
  • “Nine-section Whip Dance” (九节鞭)

The region is also known for its distinctive stilted houses, or “Diaojiaolou” (吊脚楼), representing ethnic architectural styles and forming a vivid cultural tapestry.

During the Chinese Revolution, the area witnessed fierce battles led by revolutionary pioneers such as He Long (贺龙), Xiao Ke (肖克), Wang Zhen (王震), Liao Hansheng (廖汉生), and He Jinzai (贺锦斋). Notable revolutionary sites include “He Long’s Two Kitchen Knives Uprising” (贺龙元帅两把菜刀闹革命), “Mao Ya Castle” (毛垭城堡), and “Jiangxi Kan Suppression of Bandits” (江西坎剿匪).

Scientific and Ecological Value

The Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve (八大公山自然保护区) is acclaimed by both domestic and international experts as a “Natural Museum” (天然博物馆) and a “Gene Bank of Species” (物种基因库). It is one of the most well-preserved and largest subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest areas.

There are 153 nationally protected species, including 23 species of first- and second-class protected plants such as the Dove Tree (珙桐) and Tutcheria (钟萼木), along with 10 endemic plant species across 30 families. Rare orchids like the Jewel Orchid (朱兰) and Stone Slipper Orchid (石蔸兰) are also listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The reserve is the type locality for seven new plant species, including the Sangzhi Linden (桑植椴) and Sangzhi Giant Bamboo (桑植大节竹). It is also home to over 40 species of first- and second-class nationally protected animals, such as the Clouded Leopard (云豹) and Asiatic Black Bear (黑熊), as well as 12 endemic animal species, including the Tail-spurred Horned Toad (尾突角蟾) and Wuling Rain Frog (华西雨蛙武陵亚种).

In recognition of its global significance, the Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve was:

  • Included in the China Biosphere Reserve Network (中国人与生物圈网络) in 1993
  • Listed as a priority area for biodiversity protection in the China Biodiversity Conservation Action Plan (中国生物多样性保护行动计划)
  • Recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of China’s 17 key biodiversity areas of global significance
  • Selected by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as one of the world’s 200 most important ecological regions
  • Designated a “Key Terrestrial Biodiversity Area of International Importance” in the Current Status of China’s Biodiversity and Its Protection Strategies (中国生物多样性现状及其保护对策)

It serves as a research base for China’s national scientific project on subtropical forest biodiversity protection technology and is also a teaching practice site for the University of Helsinki in Finland. Furthermore, it is part of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded “Sustainable Forestry Development Project.”

In 1986, it was officially approved by the State Council as one of China’s first “National Nature Reserves” (国家级自然保护区), becoming the first national nature reserve in Hunan Province and the only one in Zhangjiajie City. The establishment of this reserve holds great scientific value for studying the evolution of subtropical forests and protecting rare and endangered flora and fauna.

In July 2023, the Badagong Mountain Nature Reserve was awarded the title of “World’s Best Nature Reserve” (世界最佳自然保护地).