Nanyanghe National Nature Reserve

　　    Nanyanghe National Nature Reserve is the largest forest-wetland nature reserve in Northeast China. It preserves an intact primeval forest-wetland ecosystem, featuring landscapes such as primeval forests, marshes, meadows, lakes, streams, rivers, and snow and ice.

　　    The reserve has a dense network of rivers, crisscrossing gullies, and scattered lakes, serving as a major source of the Nenjiang River. More than twenty rivers, including the Ergen River, Nanyang River, and Kandu River, converge into the Nanyanghe to form the Nenjiang River.

　　    The Qinglin Wetland Observation Tower was built in 2002 and stands 24 meters tall. It is renowned for offering views of various types of wetlands in one panoramic sweep, including riverine wetlands, oxbow wetlands, marsh wetlands, and island forest wetlands. From the top of the tower, looking down, the beautiful Nanyanghe meanders gently, mirror-like, encircling clusters of green islands that stretch into the distance. Gazing into the distance, the undulating mountains, shrouded in thin clouds and mist, appear and disappear intermittently, resembling a sentimental maiden or a long-time friend gazing at you from afar. Though silent, it instills confidence and listens to your confessions. In an instant, one’s thoughts turn pure, the heart is enchanted, and worldly concerns are forgotten. Truly, a myriad of scenes unfold before your eyes, endless vistas spark the imagination, and the miraculous craftsmanship of nature compels heartfelt admiration for creation’s wonder.

　　    The Island Forest Observation Tower was completed in 2008, standing 30 meters high. It primarily observes key tree and shrub species such as Dahurian larch, birch, and wild rose, focusing on meteorological gradients and energy balance.

　　    The wildlife species distributed within the reserve account for over 90% of those found in the Greater Khingan Mountains. Mammals mainly include 49 species such as sables, brown bears, and moose, among which 9 are Class I nationally protected animals. Birds mainly include 216 species such as oriental white storks and red-crowned cranes, with 7 being Class I nationally protected bird species. Additionally, there are 44 species of amphibians, reptiles, and fish such as Siberian salamanders and taimen, showcasing extremely rich biodiversity that basically covers all terrestrial, wetland, and aquatic biological groups in the cold-temperate primeval forest zone of the Greater Khingan Mountains.

　　    The plant resources within the reserve are extremely abundant, with approximately 1,000 species of plants currently identified, including over 400 medicinal plant species. Sixty-one families and 42 species of plant resources have been discovered, among which the nationally protected plants include Korean pine, dragon spruce, Amur cork tree, boschniakia rossica, astragalus, and schisandra. Rare orchid species include purple-spotted peony orchid, large-flowered peony orchid, small spotted lady’s slipper, gymnadenia conopsea, bird’s nest orchid, and spiranthes. It is currently the largest, northernmost, most pristine, most precious, and most typical inland wetland and aquatic ecosystem-type nature reserve still preserved in China’s northern cold-temperate coniferous forest zone.

　　    The Wetland Boardwalk was built in 2009, stretching 2.7 kilometers in length and 1 meter in width. Walking along the wetland boardwalk, not only can you enjoy the beautiful wetland scenery, but you can also see the unique island forest landscape within the Nanyanghe Reserve. As you enter the boardwalk, the first thing you see is a meteorological observation station. This station was jointly established in 2005 by the Nanyanghe National Nature Reserve and the Meteorological Bureau of the Greater Khingan Mountains region, primarily for continuous monitoring of meteorological changes within the reserve. The meteorological data allows observation of climate variations across different time periods and years within the reserve, playing a very important role in meteorological research for the protected area.

　　    The reserve’s bird observation station was built in 2009. In spring and summer, resident and migratory birds enter their breeding seasons, presenting breathtaking scenes of swallows dancing and orioles singing, hawks soaring and crows descending—truly a poetic splendor. In autumn and winter, flocks of gulls and geese march in formation, migratory birds head south, cranes and ducks vary in size, and millions of sparrows gather. For these reasons, Nanyanghe National Nature Reserve is truly a paradise for birds.

　　    Transportation Guide

　　    Resort Address: Eastern Forest Area, Daxing’anling Region, Jiagedaqi District, Heilongjiang Province

　　    Getting There: Take a bus to Jiagedaqi, then transfer to a reserve minibus or taxi.