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China
is one of the countries with the greatest diversity of wildlife
in the world. There are more than 4,400 species of vertebrates,
more than 10 percent of the world's total. There are nearly 500
animal species, 1,189 species of birds, more than 320 species of
reptiles and 210 species of amphibians. Wildlife peculiar to China
includes such well-known animals as the giant panda, golden-haired
monkey, South China tiger, brown-eared pheasant, white-flag dolphin,
Chinese alligator and red-crowned crane, totaling more than 100
species. The giant panda is an especially attractive sight. Heavily
built, it has a docile disposition, and is delightfully adorable.
The 1.2-m-tall red-crowned crane is a snow-white migratory bird.
A distinctive patch of red skin tops its grey-brown head, hence
its name. The white-flag dolphin is one of only two species of freshwater
whale in the world. In 1980, a male white-flag dolphin was caught
for the first time in the Yangtze River, which aroused great interest
among dolphin researchers worldwide.
China has some of the most abundant plant life in the world. There
are more than 32,000 species of higher plants, and almost all the
major plants that grow in the northern hemisphere's frigid, temperate
and tropical zones are represented in China. In addition, there
are more than 7,000 species of woody plants, including 2,800 tree
species. The metasequoia, Chinese cypress, China fir, golden larch,
Taiwan fir, Fujian cypress are found only in China. The metasequoia,
a tall species of arbor, is considered as one of the oldest and
rarest plants in the world. China is home to more than 2,000 species
of edible plants and 3,000 species of medicinal plants. Ginseng
from the Changbai Mountains, safflowers from Tibet, Chinese wolfberry
from Ningxia and notoginseng from Yunnan and Guizhou are particularly
well-known Chinese herbal medicines. There is a wide variety of
flowering plants. A flower indigenous to China, the elegant and
graceful peony is treasured as the color of the nation and the scent
of heaven. Three famous species of flowers--the azalea, fairy primrose
and rough gentian -- grow in southwest China. During the flowering
period, mountain slopes covered with flowers in a riot of colors
form a delightful contrast with undulating ridges and peaks.
In a concerted effort to protect the nation's zoological and botanical
resources, and save species close to extinction, China has established
1,146 nature reserves to protect forests and wildlife, with a total
area of 88.13 million ha. China Yunnan Exploration Travel Service
organize trekking and camping tours to see Giant Pandas in Sichuan,
to see the Golden-haired monkeys in Yunnan, to see the countless
birds in Qinghai, and many more active tours such as viewing flowers
and butterflies, you can even picking herb medicines with us. |