Wildlifeof China
Places
Where to see China's wildlife, from the panda mountains to the Tibetan Plateau, the northeast cranes and Hainan.
Why Sichuan
The mountains on the edge of the Sichuan Basin are the heartland of the giant panda and a refuge for many species found nowhere else: red pandas, takin, golden snub-nosed monkeys and a spectacular set of pheasants. Wolong, Tangjiahe and the Min Mountains protect large blocks of bamboo forest, while captive-breeding centres near Chengdu let almost every visitor see pandas at close range.
Why Yunnan
Yunnan packs tropical rainforest, subtropical hills and snow mountains into one province. Xishuangbanna holds China's last wild Asian elephants and tropical birds, while the high ridges of Baima Snow Mountain shelter the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, one of the world's rarest primates.
Why the plateau
Qinghai, Tibet and the high deserts of the west are home to Tibetan antelope, wild yak, kiang, blue sheep and the snow leopard. Qinghai Lake is a major breeding site for waterbirds, and the Altun and Hoh Xil reserves protect some of the largest unfenced grasslands on Earth. Most areas need permits and acclimatisation to altitude.
Why the north
The wetlands of the northeast are among Asia's great crane sites, with red-crowned cranes at Zhalong, while Changbai Mountain and the forests along the Russian border are the last range of the Amur tiger and leopard in China. In spring and autumn the Bohai coast near Beidaihe sees huge waves of migrating birds.
Why central and eastern China
From the Qinling Mountains, where the crested ibis was rediscovered, to the lakes of the Yangtze floodplain, central and eastern China holds a rich mix of endemics and migrants. Poyang Lake is the winter home of most of the world's Siberian cranes, and the Yangtze finless porpoise survives in the middle and lower river.
Why the south
The limestone karst of Guangxi and the rainforest of Hainan protect some of China's rarest primates, including the white-headed and Cao Vit langurs and the Hainan gibbon, the world's rarest ape. Coastal wetlands such as Mai Po in Hong Kong are key winter sites for the black-faced spoonbill.