Tangjiahe

Tangjiahe

Tangjiahe is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national nature reserve.

Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve is one of the earlier-established, well-developed, and highly influential nature reserves in our province, as well as one of China's first national model nature reserves. It is a forest ecosystem and wildlife-type nature reserve primarily focused on protecting the giant panda, Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey, takin, and their habitats. Located in the northwest corner of Qingchuan County, Guangyuan City in northern Sichuan, it lies on the northern edge of the Sichuan Basin, to the northwest of the Longmen Mountains and the southern foothills of the Motian Mountains. It borders the Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve in Wen County, Gansu Province, to the north, Pingwu County, Mianyang City, to the west, and the Dongyanggou Provincial Nature Reserve, Qingxi Town, Qiaolou Township, and Sanguo Township of Qingchuan County in Sichuan Province to the southeast. Covering an area of 400 square kilometers (equivalent to 40,000 hectares), it includes a core zone of 27,153.87 hectares, a buffer zone of 3,798.30 hectares, and an experimental zone of 9,047.83 hectares. The forest coverage rate is 94.73%, and the average negative oxygen ion concentration reaches 4,890 ions/cm³. The terrain is approximately rhomboid, with higher elevations in the northwest and lower ones in the southeast. The highest point, Dacaoping, rises to 3,837 meters above sea level, while the lowest point, at the Baiguoping Protection Station, is only 1,150 meters, resulting in dramatic elevation differences. The area features steep mountains, deep river valleys, and a medium-to-high mountain landform shaped by erosion. The climate is subtropical monsoon, with marked vertical variations and significant regional differences. It receives ample rainfall, experiences cool summers and long winters. The diversity in altitude and climate contributes to the rich diversity of plant and animal species in Tangjiahe, making it a global hotspot for biodiversity conservation. The area is home to 2,629 plant species across 998 genera and 267 families, including four nationally protected (Class I) rare plants: dove tree (Davidia involucrata), dove tree var. vilmoriniana, Chinese yew (Taxus chinensis), and ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). There are 580 species of insects (invertebrates) and 471 species of vertebrates, comprising 103 mammal, 310 bird, 23 amphibian, 27 reptile, and 9 fish species. Among mammals, seven are under national Class I protection: the giant panda, Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey, takin, leopard, clouded leopard, forest musk deer, and alpine musk deer. Six bird species also enjoy Class I protection: the white-tailed sea eagle, lammergeier, golden eagle, hazel grouse, Lady Amherst’s pheasant, and Lophophorus lhuysii. According to the Fourth National Giant Panda Survey, Tangjiahe hosts 39 wild giant pandas, forming part of the northern Minshan mountain range habitat along with the Baishuijiang Reserve in Gansu and Wanglang, Dongyanggou, and Xiaohegou Reserves in Sichuan. This forms a crucial corridor connecting the northern panda populations and serves as an important refuge for them. Experts from both China and abroad have praised it as the “paradise of the giant panda,” the “home of life,” a “natural gene bank,” and the “green pearl of the Minshan mountain range.”

Human habitation in Tangjiahe dates back many centuries. Historically, it was part of the “Liángzhōu region” mentioned in the Yu Gong (Tribute of Yu) and the “land of the Di people during the Zhou and Qin dynasties.” It served as a strategic gateway between the Qin and Long regions and has long been a contested battleground throughout history, particularly the ancient Yínpíng Road (Yinping Ancient Path) and Motian Ridge, both famed as the “Throat of Northern Shu.” The 265-kilometer-long Yínpíng Road runs through 32 kilometers of Tangjiahe territory, while Motian Ridge—formerly known as Qīngtáng Ridge—was hailed in Shu as a “natural stronghold.” In October 263 AD, Deng Ai led his army through Yinping and conquered Shu in a single move, an achievement that amazed the world. During the Ming Dynasty’s Hongwu era, Marquis Fu Youde of Yingchuan followed Deng Ai’s route through Yinping to defeat the Xia Kingdom. As a result, Chen Yuzhao, Prefect of Long’an in the Qing Dynasty, lamented that, “The Yinping Ancient Path tells the rise and fall of two kingdoms.” In April 1935, the Fourth Front Red Army of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army marched northward to resist Japan and fought fiercely at Motian Ridge, establishing the Chishui County Soviet. In December 1949, elements of the 62nd Army of the People’s Liberation Army moved southward along the Yinping Ancient Path into Qingchuan, eventually liberating the entire Sichuan region. Historical relics along the Yinping Ancient Path, Motian Ridge, Kòngyí Pass, Kongmíng Stele, Writing Cliff, Sharpening Stone, Luoyigou, and Red Army Bridge still remain today.

In December 1978, with the approval of the State Council, the Tangjiahe Nature Reserve in Qingchuan, Sichuan, was officially established.

In July 1986, the State Council approved the upgrade of Tangjiahe Nature Reserve to a national-level nature reserve focusing on the protection of the giant panda, takin, and Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey as well as the associated forest ecosystem and wildlife.

In 2007, the Sichuan Guangyuan Tangjiahe Scenic Area Administration was formed to manage tourism development and operations, overseeing the ecological tourism planning, implementation, and business operations. In the same year, the state-owned Sichuan Tangjiahe Tourism Development Co., Ltd. was established to handle the development and commercialization of Tangjiahe’s eco-tourism.

In October 2011, Tangjiahe Tourist Scenic Area passed provincial inspection and was successfully designated as a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

On June 2, 2012, Tangjiahe’s Bauhinia Valley was selected as one of the Top Ten Flower Viewing Spots in Sichuan.

On November 14, 2014, Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve was included in IUCN’s first global list of Best Practice Protected Areas, the Green List.

In 2015, Tangjiahe Tourist Scenic Area was designated as a National Eco-Tourism Demonstration Zone and selected among the Top Ten Health and Wellness Destinations in Sichuan.

On May 22, 2016, at the 60th Anniversary Conference for the Development of Nature Reserves in China, Tangjiahe won the award for Outstanding Group in Nature Reserve Construction and Management.

According to the Ecotourism Plan for Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve in Sichuan, the area features seven distinctive natural experience halls—including the Natural Museum, Takin Experience Hall, Giant Panda Experience Hall, Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey Experience Hall, Rare Flora and Fauna Exhibition Hall, Insect Experience Hall, and Tangjiahe History Hall—as its main attractions (with the Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey, Insect, Rare Plants, and History Halls currently under planning or construction). Additionally, there are nine themed interpretive trails: Snake Island Nature Observation Trail, Shuilengou Mischievous Monkey Ecological Observation Trail, Baixiongguan Ecological Conservation Interpretation Corridor, Linghougou Valley Streamside Nature Stroll, Xiangfei Forest Health Mountain Loop, Yinpíng Ancient Path Ecological History Interpretive Trail, Bauhinia Valley Panda Jiajia Trail, Dacaotang Deep Nature Experience Line, and Ma’angling Deep Nature Experience Line. Offering both hiking and sightseeing vehicle options, these attractions emphasize using the area’s rich flora and fauna, well-preserved natural ecosystems, Three Kingdoms culture of the Shu-Han region, military border-defense culture spanning the late Han to Ming and Qing periods, as well as locally distinctive northern Sichuan culinary traditions and the red culture of the wartime resistance era. Ecotourism activities within the reserve’s experimental zones—including scientific research, science popularization, camping, vacationing, convalescence, hiking, mountaineering, exploration, sightseeing, and the exploration of local history and folklore—are conducted mainly along the Guanhu to Hongshihé and Baiguoping to Daotizi riverine corridors.