Longrui Nature Reserve

Longrui Nature Reserve

Located on the banks of the Ming River in the northwest of Ningming County, Chongzuo City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is about 15 kilometers from the county seat. Established in 1980, the reserve is a provincial-level nature reserve of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is a scenic tourist area that integrates nature conservation, scientific research, and natural landscapes.

The reserve has a northern tropical climate, covering a total area of 31,194 mu, with 26,925 mu of forest, most of which is primary forest, resulting in an 86.3% forest coverage rate and a timber stock volume of 23,690 cubic meters. The geological structure of the reserve consists of limestone formations and lower Permian carbonate karst landforms. The terrain features numerous peaks scattered across the landscape, with up to 80 peaks per square kilometer and at least around 20, all ranging between 400 to 600 meters in elevation. Some peaks overlap to form peak clusters,

and the area is rich in karst caves, many of which contain spectacular water and rock formations. Surveys have revealed that some caves hold stone tools used by ancient humans and fossilized teeth of vertebrates.

The main vegetation in the reserve is karst monsoon forest, with a rich diversity of plant species totaling 1,282 species from 673 genera and 166 families. There are over 500 species of trees and shrubs, including more than 50 fast-growing, high-quality varieties, among which 714 species are valuable vascular plants. Nationally protected plants include 10 or more rare species such as *Excentrodendron hsienmu* (Shorearwood), *Garcinia paucinervis* (Golden-thread liana), *Cephalomappa sinensis* (Fattened ox tree), *Bhesa robusta* (Apex fruit tree), and *Zenia insignis* (Ren dou). Such a diverse and lush vegetation in a carbonate karst region is truly rare on a global scale. In addition, the reserve boasts abundant animal resources, with 117 species and subspecies across 21 orders, 52 families. These include 20 species from 16 families within 7 mammalian orders; 73 species from 26 families within 10 avian orders; 17 species from 6 families within 3 reptilian orders; and 7 species from 4 families within 1 amphibian order. Key protected animals include the critically endangered white-headed langur—approximately 300 individuals, even fewer than giant pandas, making it one of the rarest monkey species today and accounting for half of the global surviving population. Other protected species include second-class nationally protected animals such as black-leaf monkeys and helmeted hornbills; and third-class protected animals such as macaques, large Indian civets, pangolins, musk deer, king cobras, serows, egrets, and red junglefowl.