Gutianshan National Nature Reserve (National AAAA Tourist Attraction)

Name: Gutianshan National Nature Reserve (National AAAA Scenic Area) Address: Suzhuang Town, Kaihua County, Zhejiang Province Tel: 0570-6829999 Transportation: Take city bus to Suzhuang Town Opening Hours: 08:00 – 17:00 Coordinates: Longitude 118°03′49.7″–118°11′12.2″, Latitude 29°10′19.4″–29°17′41.4″

Spanning between longitude 118°03′49.7″ to 118°11′12.2″ and latitude 29°10′19.4″ to 29°17′41.4″, Gutianshan Nature Reserve covers a total area of 8,107 hectares within Kaihua County, Zhejiang Province, bordering Wuyuan County and Dexing City of Jiangxi Province. Its main peak Qingjian stands at an altitude of 1,258 meters. Local watercourses flow through Suzhuang into the Le’an River in Dexing City, Jiangxi, then empty into Poyang Lake — China’s largest freshwater lake — before feeding into the Yangtze River water system.

The reserve originated as a state-owned forest harvesting and cultivation farm founded in 1958. In March 1975, it was approved for establishment as a nature reserve by the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, and formally ratified by the State Council in 1979, ranking among China’s first batch of provincial-level nature reserves. It was upgraded to a national nature reserve in June 2001 and designated a National AAAA Tourist Attraction in January 2015.

Nestled in the eastern part of the mid-subtropical zone at the junction of Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces, the reserve boasts a special and complex geographical setting, sustaining typical mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests that serve as an ideal habitat for wildlife reproduction and habitation, featuring extraordinary biodiversity. Its flora bears characteristics of both northern and southern vegetation, forming a typical transitional belt linking South China and North China plant species. It harbors unique or rare species endemic to China and Zhejiang, as well as extensive undisturbed natural secondary forests with complex stand structures. Boasting ancient origins, intricate floristic composition and abundant rare flora and fauna, the reserve acts as a natural gene bank for wild species conservation.

Scientific surveys conducted by experts over decades have recorded 1,991 vascular plant species across 897 genera and 244 families. Among seed plants, there are 14 genera endemic to China, plus 10 species exclusively distributed in Gutianshan within Zhejiang’s flora, including Parthenocissus heterophylla, Photinia fukienensis and Styrax wuyuanensis. Thirty-two rare and endangered plant species grow here: 5 national Class II key protected plants, 12 national Class III key protected plants and 15 provincial rare endangered plants. Notably, three rare tree species — Emmenopterys henryi, Michelia skinneriana and Stewartia sinensis — form exceptionally large, concentrated communities rarely seen elsewhere nationwide.

Its fauna represents a transitional type from the Oriental Realm to the Palaearctic Realm. Thirty-four national key protected animal species inhabit the reserve: four Class I species (leopard, clouded leopard, black muntjac, white-necked long-tailed pheasant) and thirty Class II species (silver pheasant, Asiatic black bear, small Indian civet, etc.). There are also 32 provincially protected animal species. The reserve hosts China’s largest concentrated population of the Class I protected black muntjac, and one of the country’s densest habitats for the Class I white-necked long-tailed pheasant. It is also Zhejiang’s primary dwelling ground for national Class II protected species such as silver pheasants and Asiatic black bears.

Gutianshan is home to 1,156 insect species spanning 759 genera, 191 families and 22 orders. Among them, 164 species from 37 families and 11 orders have their type locality here, including 24 species named after Gutianshan and 6 named after Kaihua. Two hundred and seven macrofungal species have been identified, 50 of which were first discovered in Zhejiang at Gutianshan. The core protected targets of the reserve are the mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest ecosystem and all rare and endangered species.

Over more than two decades since its founding, the reserve has carried out over 20 scientific research projects, winning one Third Class Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award and one Third Class Science and Technology Progress Award from the former Ministry of Forestry. While protecting and restoring wild populations, the reserve has actively developed artificial breeding industries, establishing large-scale breeding bases for Chinese spiny frogs and big-headed turtles.

Gutianshan presents stunning scenery dotted with towering ancient trees, pristine secondary forests, more than ten waterfalls and a wetland marsh covering over 30 mu. An observation deck offers panoramic mountain vistas. Visitors hear the calls of rare birds and wild beasts mixed with melodious birdsong. Boasting a mild climate cool in summer and warm in winter, the mountain matches the ancient record in Guangyu, which reads: “Gutian Mountain is a renowned scenic spot of the southeast, one of the Seventy-Two Taoist Blessed Lands.”

Beyond breathtaking landscapes, Gutianshan abounds in historical relics and moving folk legends. During the Qiande reign of Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty, local hunters chased a white hare that transformed into jade. A renowned monk built Lingyun Temple on the site, fronted by over 30 mu of fertile farmland, hence the ancient name Gutian Temple (Ancient Field Temple). Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty stationed troops here and surveyed the land at the General’s Platform, a surviving historic landmark. Troops led by Fang Zhimin operated across the Gutianshan area, leaving behind the Red Army Cave as a memorial site. The Advance Detachment for the Northern Expedition against Japanese Aggression under Su Yu also sowed revolutionary roots here.

Numerous nationally protected cultural relics scatter the region: Jiang Family Ancestral Hall in Suzhuang, an ancient Song Buddha statue in Tangtou, and a Song Dynasty kiln site in Longtan. Famous ancient trees include a Yuan Dynasty fir tree, Tang cypresses, a Wuyue-era ancient camphor tree and a Suzhuang ginkgo. Legend holds the Yuan fir was personally planted by Zhu Yuanzhang, while the Wuyue camphor is hailed as “Zhejiang’s King of Trees”. The area also holds mysterious natural curiosities known as the Three Wonders of Gutian (non-stinging snakes, tailless river snails, permanent water traces) and the idyllic hidden valley Songkeng.

With picturesque mountains, abundant cultural heritage, simple local customs and a mild climate all year round, Gutianshan is a top leisure and summer retreat.

Black Muntjac (National Class I Protected Wild Animal) White-necked Long-tailed Pheasant (National Class I Protected Bird)