Maolan National Nature Reserve

Chinese Name: 茂兰国家级自然保护区 (Mao Lan Guo Jia Ji Zi Ran Bao Hu Qu)
Location: 25 East Zhangjiang Road, Libo County, Duyun City, Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province
Ticket: CNY110.00 include sightseeing bus
Estimated tour time: 4-6 hours
Recommended time to visit: whole year, opening hours: 8:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
Nearby attractions: Langde Miao Minority Village, Huangguoshu Waterfall, Zhaoxing Dong Minority Village, etc.

Maolan National Nature Reserve is located in Libo County, Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, adjacent to Guangxi Mulun National Nature Reserve, borders Huanjiang County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The reserve is located in the central subtropical monsoon humid climate zone. It is a typical karst peak cluster funnel and peak cluster depression landform. The reserve is 430-1078 meters above sea level and covers an area of 21,285 hectares. The main objects of protection are the Karst forest and rare plants and animals.

● Highlights of Maolan National Nature Reserve

The total area of Maolan Reserve is 21,285 hectares. The core area is 5,827 hectares, the buffer area is 8,910 hectares, the experimental area is 4,588 hectares, and the eco-tourism area is 1,915 hectares. The forest coverage rate is 87.4%, and the core area is 92%. The reserve involves 21 villages in eight townships(towns) of Lihua, Yongkang, Dongtang, Weng’ang, Laocun, Jiaou, Yaoshan and Jialiang. There are nearly 8000 people from the nationalities of Buyi, Shui, Yao, Miao, Maonan, Zhuang, Han, etc.

Plants

There are 1,203 species of vascular plants belonging to 514 genera and 154 families, 31 species of ferns belonging to 20 genera and 11 families, 1,172 species of seed plants belonging to 494 genera and 143 families, and 6 families of gymnosperms in the reserve.

There are more than 200 species of national first-class protected plants, such as Taxus chinensis, Southern Taxus chinensis, Magnolia unisex, Paphiopedilum scleroifolia, Paphiopedilum microphylla and Paphiopedilum alba. The second-class protected plants include more than 200 species of South China five-needle pine, cypress, short-leaved yellow cedar, sweet fruit tree, sweet lotus, beech tree, and more than 40 species of endemic species in the reserve.

Animals

There are nearly 400 species of vertebrates in the reserve. There are 205 species in 47 families and 16 orders of birds, 61 species in 24 families and 8 orders of mammals, 47 species in 10 families and 3 orders of reptiles, 34 species in 8 families and 2 orders of amphibians, 39 species in 10 families and 5 orders of fish and more than 1300 species of insects.

National key protected wildlife: by 2013, Maolan had 5 species of first class state  protected animals and 32 species of second class state protected animals.

The wildlife under first class state protection mainly include the south China tiger, leopard, python, white-necked long-tailed pheasant and forest musk deer.

Maolan Nature Reserve is a minority community with numerous cultural relics and rich national scenery culture. Buyi, Shui, Miao, Yao and other ethnic minorities have unique customs in architecture, clothing, handicrafts, food, weddings and funerals which are of great value for tourism development. It is the only oasis on the earth of the same latitude and has been called "the emerald of the earth's belt".