Huanglong Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2000, in China. Huanglong Biosphere Reserve is situated in a mountainous area with peaks reaching up to 5,588 m above sea level. The area is recognised as a biodiversity hotspot, with part of it inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992. Major wild animal species include the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), Rhinopithecus roxellanaand the leopard (Panthera pardus fusca). It is also scenically remarkable, with a system of some 3,400 travertine pools linked by travertine shoals, rapids and waterfalls. Reverence for the natural world among local communities, particularly among Tibetan people, has played an essential role in protecting the ecological environment and biodiversity in the reserve and surrounding areas.