The Mangkang Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey National Nature Reserve, located in the Mangkang Mountain area within Mangkang County and adjacent to the Yunling Mountain Range of Northwest Yunnan, was originally established as the Honglashan Nature Reserve in 1985. It was renamed after the discovery of the Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey, locally known as “Zhunzha,” by the Tibet Autonomous Region Rare Wild Animals Survey Team during 1987-1988. This species is among the world’s primates at risk of extinction.
In 1992, the reserve was designated as an autonomous region-level nature reserve before being upgraded to a national-level nature reserve named the “Mangkang Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey National Nature Reserve.” The reserve spans altitudes from 3,500 to 4,500 meters, with its highest peak, Pengbola Mountain, reaching 5,084 meters, while the lowest valley areas are approximately 2,300 to 3,000 meters.
Centered around Honglashan Mountain, the reserve extends over 80 kilometers in length and more than 30 kilometers in width, covering an area of over 2,400 square kilometers with a forest cover rate of 70% to 80%. It is home to three national key protected rare animal communities of the Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey, totaling over 700 individuals living at altitudes between 3,000 and 4,000 meters. Especially during early spring and late autumn, the monkeys can often be seen foraging in the reserve’s pristine forests.
Moreover, the reserve hosts 12 species of national first-class protected animals, including the Tibetan Macaque, Gray Langur, Clouded Leopard, Snow Leopard, Temminck’s Tragopan, and the Green-tailed Sunbird. It also protects 48 species of national second-class protected animals like the Red Panda, Lynx, Sun Bear, Tibetan Partridge, parrots, and vultures, among other precious animals such as the Sambar Deer, Musk Deer, Bharal, and White Eared Pheasant.
The reserve’s diverse natural landscape features warm and humid valley bottoms, forest meadows on mountain flanks and foothills with precious trees like Yunnan Pine, high mountain oaks, willows, and pines. It also showcases Quaternary glacial geomorphology, and cultural sites like Zini Monastery and Longdong Lake, combining natural and religious scenery.
Spotlights and Travel Tips
- Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey: A national first-class protected animal, with an estimated population of 800 to 1,100 nationwide. In Tibet, their numbers range from 570 to 790. Known in Tibetan as “Zhecha” and also referred to as the “Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey,” this species belongs to the Colobinae subfamily of primates.
- Appearance: They have a body length of about 70 cm and weigh around 15 kg, with swollen and protruding nasal areas, short ears, a small nose centered on a sky-blue face, and nostrils pointing upwards. Their tails are as long or longer than their bodies, without cheek pouches. Their back fur is glossy, with a blue face, black-grey hair on the head, neck, upper arms, and tail, and white fur on the chest, abdomen, inner limbs, and buttocks.
- Behavior: They live in groups often exceeding 100 individuals and are unique to Tibet, being the only monkeys in the region that primarily feed on coniferous trees, earning them the nickname “Snow Monkeys.” Their fur is highly valued for observation and as a luxury item.
Visiting the Reserve
- Access: The county town is 60 kilometers from the Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkey Nature Reserve, with National Highway 214 running through it, making it easily accessible by rented car or self-drive. Car rentals from the county town cost about 200 to 300 yuan.
- Local Products: The reserve is rich in precious medicinal materials. Wild animal-based medicines include musk, deer antler, bezoar, and snow frog; plant-based medicines include caterpillar fungus, fritillaria, anemarrhena, rhubarb, angelica, codonopsis, notoginseng, picrorhiza kurrooa, and rhodiola.
