Fanjing Mountains National Park

Fanjing Mountains National Park lies in the northeast of Guizhou Province , southwest China, and figures conspicuously in its wonderful pristine landscapes including an immense diversity of ancient species and the singular landform.

More than 200 years ago,Fanjing Mountains had once been a well known sacred land of Buddhism,where a great number of temples had scattered all over the mountains attracting numerous pilgrims from all the parts of China. Today..all the ancient Buddhist structures have already disappeared,leaving only some ruins of the ancient temples in the park. However,the wonderful landscapes and the extremely abundant plant and animal species here are still one of China's most outstanding natural wealth. Covering a total area of 400 square kilometers, the park is an unspoilt wilderness that stretches 21 kilometers from the east to the west,and 27 kilometers from the south to the north. .

In the Wanli reign (1573-1620) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), this mountain range was given its current name,Fanjing Mountains, meaning "mountains of Buddhism and purity".

The most valuable and attractive landscape in this park is its subtropical evergreen virgin forests, which cover 80 percent of the park's land area. The various habitats are home to an almost endless array of plant and animal life, which contain 882 species of woody plants,245 species of mosses and 180 species of ferns. The mountains and the peaks are cloaked with a delightful array of thick forests and an extremely prolific diversity of green plants. There are 15 kinds of floral geographic components throughout the world,13 kinds of them can be found in this park. The park,therefore,enjoys the title" A Green Realm". The changing climate creates distinct zones of life that band the mountains, where vertical forest types vary with the altitudinal differences,and each is home to different kinds of plants and animals,which are confined by their natures suitable to the climatic zone.

From the foot of the Fanjing Mountains,from 500 meters up to 1,300 meters above sea level,common subtropical plants of beech, laurel,tea and magnolia grow in dense, virtually impenetrable thickets. Typical tree species are oaks,cinnamon,machilus,nanmu and many others,which form the beautiful subtropical broadleaf evergreen forests. Giant trees tower to the skies,and the dense forest canopy shades 90 percent of the mountains, where sunlight and noise are so excluded that an otherworldly atmosphere prevails;and the dim light only allows the growth of the very sparse shrubs and herbaceous plants on the forest floor. Man made forests of Chinese fir and masson pine also fill the mountains, adding emerald to this vegetation zone.

From 1,300 up to 1,990 meters above sea level,the forest patterns begin to change. Most of the evergreen trees are crowded out by the dominant deciduous broadleaf trees,making an interesting mixed forest zone of evergreen and deciduous broadleaf trees including different varieties of oaks,a variety of maples,beech,sweet gum,field lacquer tree and many others.

In the narrow vertical zone between 1,900 and 2,100 meters above sea level,evergreen trees are replaced by deciduous broadleaf trees such as beech,maples,mountain ash (Sarbus keissleri), Oriental photinia (Phatinia villas a) and others. The sparser canopy of the deciduous broadleaf forests allows more understory growth therefore rhododendrons,Japanese blueberry,lush bamboos and herbaceous plantst thrive here.

With an increase in elevation and a drop in temperature,over 2,100 to 2,350 meters above sea level ,broadleaf forests give way to subalpine coniferous forests largely populated with Chinese hemlock and faber fir, which are adaptable to the cooler climate and thinner soil layer. The damp forest floor even the tree trunks and branches are draped with different varieties of bryophytes.

From the subalpine coniferous forest zone up to the summits of Fanjng Mountains, tall trees vanished from sight because they are unable to adapt to the harsh and inconstant climate. The confining world of the forest falls away to reveal the cold-resistant subalpine meadows ,that are brightened by rhododendrons and are studded with shrubs.

Flowering plants are stunning throughout a year because of the warm temperature, sufficient rainfall and rich soil in the park. Growing from 1 to 2 meters in height, in some places rhododendrons form impenetrable thickets, whose stems are so intertwined that only few creatures can pass through the tangled growth. A great variety of wildflowers come into their blossomed glory, and weave lovely tapestries on the forest floor among mossy logs and towering trees, making the landscape incandescent. The fragrance of firs and wildflowers fill the air. Bees buzz around flowers, creating a subtle background music when they work the blooms for nectar. Butterflies enliven the scene with their delightful dances.

Fall foliage colors are a brilliant sight on a clear day. The entire hillsides and the mountain slopes burst into explosions of yellows, reds and oranges of gold aspens,birches,oaks and scarlet maples that are mixed with the dark evergreens.