Bangxi Nature Reserve

Bangxi Nature Reserve

Bangxi Nature Reserve is a provincial-level nature reserve.

Hainan Bangxi Provincial Nature Reserve is situated in the southwestern part of Hainan Province, within Bangxi Town, Baisha County, about 50 kilometers from the county seat and approximately 7 kilometers from the western section of Hainan’s expressway. The reserve spans a total area of 5,427 mu, with geographic coordinates ranging from: 109°05′092″ to 109°06′582″ east longitude, and 19°23′300″ to 19°24′527″ north latitude. Established on June 16, 1976, with the approval of the Revolutionary Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Forestry Bureau (document no. Yue Lin Ge [1976] 177), it was originally named the Guangdong Baisha County Bangxi Precious Animals Protection Station. In 1990, it was promoted to Hainan Bangxi Provincial Nature Reserve, becoming a directly administered provincial unit. Its primary mission is “the protection and development of the Hainan Eld’s deer.” The Hainan Eld’s deer is a Class I nationally protected wild animal and is indigenous to this region. As a rare and precious species unique to Hainan, its dwindling numbers have drawn global attention, earning it the title of “rare treasure.” Thanks to the care of higher authorities and guidance from experts, along with years of dedicated management and breeding efforts by reserve staff, Bangxi has regained its reputation as the “Hometown of the Eld’s Deer” and has become a key base for the conservation and development of the Hainan Eld’s deer in China.

The terrain of the reserve is relatively flat, characterized as a tropical hilly area with elevations ranging from 20 to 80 meters. The geology consists of brown lateritic soil formed from the weathering of granite and limestone. The region experiences a hot tropical climate with distinct dry and wet seasons. The dry season lasts 7 to 8 months, while the rainy season is short, concentrated in August and September, with an average annual rainfall of about 1,000 mm. The area enjoys long hours of intense sunlight, with an average temperature of 24°C, an extreme maximum of 37.5°C, and an extreme minimum of 3°C. Annual evaporation reaches up to 2,500 mm, which is 2.5 times the amount of rainfall. The reserve hosts 101 families, 284 genera, and 347 species (including subspecies, varieties, and forms) of vascular plants, among which 151 species are preferred food sources for the Hainan Eld’s deer. In addition to the Hainan Eld’s deer, the reserve is home to over 80 other types of wildlife, including (but not limited to) pythons, Hainan rabbits, red junglefowl, grass owls, collared scops owls, doves, partridges, Indian muntjacs, and wild boars, according to incomplete statistics.