Dabai Mountain Scenic Area

　　  Dabai Mountain Scenic Area is situated at the southernmost part of the reserve, standing at an altitude of 1,528 meters. It is the highest peak in the northern section of the sprawling Greater Khingan Mountains. In early summer, while the lower slopes are already lush with greenery, the mountaintop remains capped with snow. It resembles Mount Fuji in the flesh, offering breathtaking scenery on-site. Climbing Dabai Mountain allows you to overlook the towering ranges and the vast forests of the Greater Khingan, giving you a transcendent, otherworldly feeling. Due to its high elevation, Dabai Mountain features a typical vertical distribution of forest vegetation zones. The vegetation is distributed vertically as follows: from 1,500–1,200 meters, the subalpine dwarf forest belt, including larch dwarf shrubs and alder-larch dwarf shrubs; from 1,300–900 meters, the montane cold-temperate subalpine coniferous (and broad-leaved) forest belt, featuring larch, Betula ermanii and larch mixed forests, larch and fallen leaf larch forests, and scree slope vegetation; from 1,200–700 meters, the montane cold-temperate coniferous forest belt, including rhododendron and larch forests, Ledum palustre and larch forests, sphagnum and Ledum palustre with larch forests, and sweet poplar forests; from 700–660 meters, river valleys dominated by sedge marsh meadows. This vertical vegetation distribution is not only a living textbook for botany but also holds high scientific research value. White year-round, as if covered in unmelting snow, it resembles Japan’s Mount Fuji, nestled gently and peacefully among the green mountains of the Greater Khingan. Viewed from above, it looks like a white sail moored in an ocean of green. From afar, it appears as the king of the mountains—majestic, solitary, beautiful, and magical, stirring the imagination. Reaching the summit, one can gaze over the surrounding peaks stretching to the horizon. The mountain’s vegetation—including the creeping pine (China’s largest creeping pine garden) and wild rhododendrons—sways in the wind, while woodpeckers, yellow birds, and larks sing cheerfully in the woods. Relaxing on this lofty and unique Dabai Mountain, listening to the beautiful melodies of nature, feels like stepping into a paradise on earth, refreshing the mind and lifting the spirit. Major attractions include:

　　 1. Welcoming Pine: This is a thousand-year-old Korean pine growing at the highest point of the First Peak of the Greater Khingan. Its branches are outstretched, as if performing an elegant welcoming gesture, beckoning visitors. It remains evergreen all year round, symbolizing eternal friendship.-----

　　 2. Dabai Mountain is also home to a unique high-altitude snow tea, found nowhere else in China. It is extremely rare and valuable, selling for around 10,000 RMB per kilogram in the U.S. market. Aside from professional harvesters, very few people even know of its existence.

　　 3. First Tower of the Greater Khingan: Firewatch towers are unique to forested areas. To see far, you must climb high. The watchtower built atop the First Peak of the Greater Khingan is China’s northernmost tower. Standing 28 meters tall, climbing to its top allows you to look down upon the mountain ranges—truly a case of “reaching the summit and overlooking all the lesser peaks.” The endless sea of forests spreads out fully before your eyes, completely unobstructed.

　　 4. China’s Largest Creeping Pine Garden: Creeping pine is a cold-temperate, high-altitude, needle-leaved gymnosperm that only thrives at elevations between 1,300–900 meters. Dabai Mountain offers the most suitable environment for its growth, resulting in the largest concentrated area of creeping pines, earning the Huzhong District the title of “Home of China’s Creeping Pines.”

　　 5. Watching the Sunrise over the Greater Khingan: Rise early and climb Dabai Mountain to watch the sunrise. Beyond the overlapping green ridges, a red sun bursts forth in spectacular fashion.