The Giant Panda

The giant panda,also called the panda, is known as a living fossil and China's "national treasure". It is adored by the world for its round face, large dark circles around its eyes and chubby body. Pandas live mainly in bamboo forests high in the mountains of southwestern China. The Sichuan Ginat Panda Sanctuaries, located in the southwest province of Sichuan, cover seven natural reserves. According to the third national investigation on wild giant panda population, there are less than 1600 wild giant pandas. By the end of 2011, the number of captive giant pandas had reached 333.

The giant panda has a body shape typical of bears. It has distinctive black patches around its eyes, over the ears,and across its round body on legs, arms and shoulders. The luxuriant black-and-white fur helps pandas hide in the trees of dense forest and on the ground covered by snow,escaping the notice of predators.The average weight of pandas is 80kg-120kg. A newborn panda cub is pink, weighing only 90 grams to 130 grams, about 1/900th the size of its mother. Pandas eat almost nothing but bamboo shoots and leaves, which accouts for more tahn 99% of its diet.Generally, each day giant pandas would spend about 12 hours eating,and most of the rest of their time sleeping. Compared with the wild pandas that have a life span of 18 to 20 years old, the captive population may enjoy a life span of more than 30 years.

The giant panda is a conservation-reliant vulnerable species and is listed in national first-class protected animals in China.The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006.

The Golden Monkey

The golden monkey, also widely referred to the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey, inhabits mountainous forests of central and southwest China at elevations of 1,500m-3,400m above the sea level, where the temperature drops below freezing in winter and rises only to about 25C in summer. There are some 8,000 to 10,000 golden monkeys in the wild, mainly distributed in four provinces in China: Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi and Hubei. The golden monkey is classified as endangered by the IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) with the threat of habitat loss. The golden monkey can be found in a number of protected areas, including Baihe Nature Reserve, Foping National Nature Reserve, Shennongjia National Geopark and

Wanglang National Nature Reserve.

The golden monkey is easily recognizable with its blue face, long tail, and golden long-furred back. Males measure about 62cm long, and they weigh 16kg-17kg. Females are about half the size when compared to males. weighing only about 9kg-10kg. The golden monkey is found in groups ranging in size from 5-10 individuals to bands of about 600.and the social organization within the group of this species can be quite complex. The diet of the golden monkey changes depending on the season. It mainly eats lichens, young leaves, fruits or seeds, buds, mature leaves, herbs, bark, and flowers. It can withstand coldness better than most other primates and can withstand temperatures below the freezing point with ease.

The Crested Ibis

The Crested Ibis known as the "Oriental gem" is a rare and precious species in the world. The Crested Ibis is a larger bird with its body length up to 80cm and weight about 1.8 kg. Its head is partially bare, showing its red skin, and it has a dense crest of white plumes on the nape, a long down-curved beak and white plumages mixed with pink. The Crested Ibis is regarded as an "auspicious bird" and is considered as the symbol of good luck and happiness by Chinese people.

In history, the Crested Ibis was widely distributed in East Asia, including China, Japan, North Korea and Russia (Former Soviet Union). The species declined rapidly during the late 19th century and mid-20th century due to the change of the environment caused by human activities, such as the decrease of the rice fields, the wide applications of fertilizers and pesticides, the deforestation of woodlands used for nesting and over-hunting. The population of the Crested Ibis decreased so rapidly that it was on the verge of extinction.

In May 1981, after years of investigation, Chinese ornithologists discovered a small group of seven wild Crested Ibises in Yangxian County, Hanzhong City of Shaanxi Province, which was the only population of wild Crested Ibis in the world. Since then, measures have been taken for the protection and scientific research of the Crested Ibis and noticeable achievements have been made, especially in the field of captive breeding. In1989, the world's first captive bred Crested Ibis was born. In1990, the Shaanxi Crested Ibis Nature Reserve was established.By1995, there had been about 35 Crested Ibises in the wild and 25 ones in captivity, making it possible to save this rare species from extinction. At present, the total population of the Crested Ibis in China has raised to about 2,000.

The Chinese Alligator

The Chinese alligator, also known as the Yangtze alligator or China alligator, is a critically endangered crocodilian endemic in China. The Chinese alligator is black or dark gray in color with a fully armored body. As one of the smallest species of crocodilians in the world, it grows to 1.5 metres-2.1 metres in length and weighs 36 kilograms-45 kilograms as an adult. Females are roughly three-quarters the length of males.

The Chinese alligator is found in the Yangtze River region of China, hence the name of Yangtze alligator. Living in bodies of fresh water, particularly wetlands and ponds, the Chinese alligator is extremely restricted. By 2015, the only places in the wild where it is confirmed to inhabit had been Xuancheng (Jingxian County,Langxi County and Guangde County), Wuhu (Nanling County)in the province of Anhui. It has been reported to rarely occur in the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but it is unknown whether it still lives there. The species previously had a wide range and population, but nearly 7,000 years ago, multiple threats, for example, habitat destruction, caused the species'population and home range to decline. Nowadays, the Chinese alligator is widely regarded as the most endangered crocodilian in the world and it is ranked as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List. China has listed the Chinese alligator as a national first-class protected animal. In order to preserve and protect this precious species, China has established nature reserves and breeding facilities for the Chinese alligator in Anhui and Zhejiang.

The Tibetan Antelope

The Tibetan antelope is a medium-sized antelope native to the Tibetan plateau with a shoulder height of about 83cm in males, and 74cmn females. Males are significantly larger than females, weighing about 39kg, while females weigh 26kg. The males have black stripes on the legs and long, curved-back horns that typically measure 54cm to 60cm in length. The Tibetan antelope inhabits the harsh steppe areas at an elevation of 4,000km to 6.000km. The Tibetan antelopes congregate in herds when they move between summer and winter pastures, but they are more usually found in much smaller groups, with no more than 20 individuals. The lifespan of a Tibetan antelope is about eight years on average.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Tibetan antelopes became endangered due to massive illegal poaching. They are hunted for their exceptionally fine and soft underfur which can be woven into the luxury fabric shahtoosh known as "soft gold". Since 1979, the Tibetan antelope has had legal protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Killing, harming or trading in the animal is illegal worldwide. In 2008, it was listed as an endangered species on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Currently, the Chinese government has set up nature reserves, cracked down on poaching, and sought international cooperation in banning illegal trade of antelope fur products.

Dawn Redwood

The dawn redwood,also called the water larch or metasequoia, is a deciduous conifer, native to central China. The dawn redwood is over 50 million years old and has been called "a living fossil". Until the 1940s, it was known only from fossil remains, and had been thought to be extinct for many millions of years. In 1944, some living dawn redwoods were found growing in the wild in Lichuan County of Hubei Province in China. Since its rediscovery, the dawn redwood has become a popular ornamental.

The dawn redwood is a fast-growing tree to 130 feet-150 feet(40m-46m) tall and 6 feet (2 m) in trunk diameter with a full pyramidal shape crown in 20 years under good growing conditions.It likes being exposed to full sun and prefers moist, deep, well-drained soils. The linear and flattened leaves are opposite in arrangement. The bright green, feathery leaves turn reddish-brown in the fall. The trunk is quite slender and dramatically straight. It has both male and female flowers on the same tree. It is one of the few cone-bearing deciduous trees. The cones contain about 5-9 winged seeds. The cones ripen in early December and shed the seeds shortly afterward.

Davidia involucrata Baill

Davidia involucrata Baill,also called the dove tree, handkerchief tree or water pear, is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to south central and southwest China from Hubei to southern Gansu, south to Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan. Davidia involucrata Baill has been listed as a national key protected wild plant and a national first-class protection plant. It is a rare relict plant and a famous ornamental plant in the world. The species was introduced from China to Europe and North America in 1904, and is a popular ornamental tree in parks and larger gardens.

Davidia involucrata Baill is a moderately fast-growing tree, pyramidal in shape, growing to up to 15 meters to 20 meters in height. The dark grey bark often scales off in flakes. The large bright-green leaves, shaped like a heart or an oval, are mostly 10cm-20cm long and 7cm-15cm wide. Davidia involucrata Baill is best known for its exquisite flowers. The Latin word "involucrata", part of the English name of the tree, means a flower surrounded by a ring of bracts. There are two bracts of different sizes surrounding each flower, one up to 16cm long and the other half as long. Originally the bract is light green, then turns milky, and in the end straw yellow. The flowers are at their best in late May. On a breezy day, the bracts flutter in the wind like white doves or handkerchiefs, hence the names of this tree.

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo, is a living fossil with the earliest leaf fossils dating back to 270 million years. Ginkgo biloba is native to China, where it is widely cultivated since ancient times.

Ginkgo biloba is a large deciduous tree, pyramidal in shape, with a trunk up to 30 metres (98 feet) tall and 2.5 metres (8 feet) in diameter at maturity. Younger trees are often tall and slender, and sparsely branched, and the crown becomes broader as the tree ages. The fan-shaped bright green leaves turn golden yellow in autumn and then fall rapidly. Ginkgo biloba makes a beautiful shade tree and is growing slowly. Ginkgo biloba is a relatively shade-intolerant species that grows best in environments that are well-watered and well-drained. Ginkgo biloba is usually deep rooted and resistant to wind, diseases and insects, which makes it long-lived, with some specimens claimed to be more than 2,500 years old.

The nut-like seeds of ginkgo biloba are called "white fruit" in Chinese, which have various uses in traditional medicine and as a source of food. In Chinese culture, Ginkgo biloba leaves and seeds are believed to have health benefits. Nowadays, extracts of Ginkgo biloba leaves and seeds are sold as dietary supplements and have become popular in many countries because it is believed that they have memory-enhancing properties and are beneficial to people's cognitive function.