Heipu Tunnel

　　Situated on the western bank of the Nujiang River, the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve stretches 9 kilometers from east to west and 135 kilometers from north to south, with a total area of 120,000 hectares. The mountains are steep, with peaks and valleys alternating in a north-south arrangement, showcasing a classic vertical zonation of alpine gorge landscapes and abundant, diverse flora and fauna.

　　This is a jewel in the Hengduan Mountain Range, with a forest coverage rate of 85%. The complex terrain of high mountains and deep valleys, along with the sharply contrasting ecological environments, provides favorable conditions for a wide variety of plants and animals. The massive Gaoligong Mountain range blocks the intrusion of cold air from the northwest while retaining the warm, moist air currents from the Indian Ocean. As a result, the reserve, located at a high altitude yet low latitude, enjoys a typical subtropical climate. The area between 1,600 and 2,800 meters in elevation on both the eastern and western slopes forms the core of the nature reserve. It connects with the Eastern Himalayan region, making up China’s most remarkable primeval broadleaf forest. Here, forest resources are extremely rich, and rare plant species can be found everywhere. These include the world’s largest rhododendron species—the over 500-year-old large-tree rhododendron; the ancient relict plant known as the “green longevity star,” the national first-class protected rare tree species Taiwania flousiana; the original species of Yunnan cherry, the native species of Yunnan camellia, and other rare trees, making it a forest that gathers many of China’s rare tree species.

　　The north-south extending Hengduan Mountain Range is referred to by zoologists as a corridor between the northern and southern animal regions. It is hailed as the birthplace of “mammalian ancestral differentiation.” The reserve is home to a variety of wild animals, including 30 species under national protection. The antelope, which enjoys the same renown as the giant panda and Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, is a native ancient species of Gaoligong Mountain. Other inhabitants include gibbons, slow lorises, black-crested gibbons, gray snub-nosed monkeys, bear macaques, red-faced monkeys, black musk deer, clouded leopards, golden cats, and civets. There are also more than 300 species of birds, such as the white-tailed red pheasant, Lady Amherst’s pheasant, silver pheasant, golden pheasant, Lady Amherst’s pheasant, red-bellied tragopan, and others.

　　In the central area of the nature reserve, the Dulongjiang Highway has been constructed. The Dulongjiang Highway passes through the Heipu Tunnel at the Fengxue Pass of Gaoligong Mountain, situated at an altitude of 3,200 meters and 51 kilometers from Gongshan County. It is the only route to Dulongjiang. Due to the diverse forest types and vertical vegetation distribution within the nature reserve, visitors can experience the distinct climates and scenery of all four seasons of Gaoligong Mountain in a single day at Heipu Tunnel. Here, one can see the main ridge of Gaoligong Mountain, which resembles a great wall of ice and snow, and admire the “Yinshan Biao Shui” (Shaded Mountain Flowing Water)-renowned Dishui River Double...