Yunnan is home to rare temperate and alpine plants and flowers, wild mushrooms and many species of birds and butterflies. Examples of the unique wildlife include the Yunnan Golden Monkey and Black Necked Crane. The rich biodiversity of Yunnan is such that 90% of medicinal herbs for Tibetan medicine and 60% of herbs for Chinese medicine are grown here.

Great Rivers National Park
The Chinese government has designated 66,000 sq km of land as China's first world-class nature preserve. The Great Rivers National Park will be four times the size of Yellowstone National Park in USA, with boundaries from Burma in the west to Sichuan to the east, and from the first bend of the Yangtze to the Central Tibet border. The park embraces the Yangtze, Mekong, Salween and Irrawady rivers and numerous distinct ethnic areas.

Mountain landscapes
The limestone and granite terrain of the Mekong climbs upwards to the lush forests of the Salween and onwards to the high mountain ranges of the Yangtze. This is a perfect region for relaxed nature walks, botanical exploration, pony treks, and more serious trekking. Expect to see spectacular mountain lakes, rhododendrons and forests, hot springs, gorges and karst terraces, are of which are common features of this unique environment.

Bita Lake Nature Preserve
Bita Lake Nature Preserve is 3,540m above sea level and a lovely place for horseback riding. The hiking around the lake is accessible to the average walker, and the surrounding woods reveal long strands of moss hanging from the trees and wildflowers sprouting up in the most surprising places.

The White Water Limestone Terrace
The White Water Limestone Terrace forms the second largest natural terrace of its kind in the world. The valley is covered with red and pink wildflowers in the autumn and is a local pilgrimage site in March.

Napha Lake Nature Preserve
Napha Lake Nature Preserve is a lake from July to September and an enormous meadow during the rest of the year. The surrounding hills are covered with a carpet of wild flowers in May and June. During the winter months, the rare black-neck crane makes the nature preserve its home.

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