Lijiang Laojun Mountain, China's Most Beautiful Forest

Laojun Mountain in Lijiang, Southwest China's Yunnan province was announced as part of the second batch of "China's Most Beautiful Forests" at the 2019 China Forest Oxygen Bar Annual Festival, which was held in Beijing on May 10.

As an important part of Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Laojun Mountain National Geological Park covers an area of 1324.77 square kilometers.

A view of the spectacle scenery of Danxia landform at Laojun Mountain National Geological Park. [Photo/lijiang.cn]

It is a popular attraction due to its rich alpine vegetation, rare animals and plants, numerous glacial lakes, spectacular Danxia landforms, and multi-ethnic and colorful folk customs.

The most distinctive feature of Laojun Mountain is the existence of a large number of primitive azaleas, subalpine azalea shrubs, and cold-temperature coniferous forests, which constitute a large area of azalea landscape.

The beautiful azalea landscape. [Photo/lijiang.cn]

It is also rich in endemic animal species, among which, the Yunnan golden snub-nosed monkey is a national grade 1 protected animal, as well as a rare and endangered species in the world.

Yunnan golden snub-nosed monkeys. [Photo/lijiang.cn]