Huabei Mountain Nature Reserve

Huabei Mountain Nature Reserve

Also known as Huayue Mountain, Huabei Mountain is located 35 kilometers northeast of the county town, covering a total area of 14,500 hectares (218,000 mu), with a core primitive forest area of 3,500 hectares (53,000 mu) and a highest peak — Nantianmen at an elevation of 2,380.4 meters. It is one of the highest peaks of the Daba Mountain Range. The saying “Wanyuan has a suspended sky, just three and a half feet from the heavens” accurately describes this place. Major attractions include large sinkholes and fault-block mountains, making it one of the most typical areas in China’s limestone karst regions for stratified landforms. The Wandushuping sinkhole on the northeast side of the main peak, Nantianmen, features cliffs about 500 meters high and a base of 2 hectares (over 30 mu). Shaped like a small mountain basin, it is currently the largest known sinkhole in Sichuan.

Atmospheric phenomena such as sunrise, sea of clouds, misty rain, night rain, and winter snow can all be observed here. Among them, “Huabei Mountain misty rain, ever-changing” and “Ba Mountains’ night rain” rank the best in all of Sichuan. There are over 1,000 species of rare plants and animals, including more than 10 types of rare plants. Notably, there are tens of thousands of acres of primeval sea buckthorn forest, bamboo forest, and hundreds of acres of azalea woods located above 1,800 meters altitude. The Huabei Mountain shellfish (huabeibei) is said to dissolve phlegm instantly, earning the reputation that “Sichuan fritillaria is the best under heaven, while Huabei shellfish is the best in Sichuan.” The primeval forest zone of Huabei Mountain is known as the biological gene bank of the Daba Mountains. In August 1998, it was designated as a provincial-level nature reserve by the People’s Government of Sichuan Province. A general inscribed the words “No Place Like Huabei” praising the reserve.

The area is home to a wide variety of wildlife, totaling 222 species, including 26 that are rare and protected. This makes it the region in Dazhou City with the most concentrated population of rare animals. Species found here include the Chinese giant salamander, takin, river deer, deer, wild boar, wild goat, golden pheasant, leopard, and over 100 other species of precious and rare birds and beasts.

Location

Wanyuan City, Dazhou, Sichuan Province