Green paradise

Shennongjia's well-preserved natural beauty recently earned it the privilege of hosting the first China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day and a world natural heritage conference on June 10. [Photo by Yang Feiyue/China Daily]

Golden snub-nosed monkeys can be recognized by their bright fur, graceful movements and gentle nature. They were once found throughout China but have retreated to high mountains because of changes in the environment.

They are now critically endangered because of habitat destruction and hunting, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has listed them as a rare species, while China has classified them as a first-grade State-protected animal.

"Their lungs are extremely sensitive and need fresh air," says a worker at the Shennongjia Golden Monkeys Protection and Research Center high in the mountains of the Shennongjia park.

Shennongjia's environment and climate makes it an important habitat for the monkey.

Meanwhile, in a pond near a small wood cabin in Shennongjia's Guanmenshan scenic spot, there are various kinds of wild giant salamander (Andrias daridianus "Blanchard").

Salamanders have polychromatic backs, and their forelegs resemble human hands while their hind legs look like human feet.

They make sounds like babies crying and hence they are called baby fish.

A giant salamander in a pond near the wooden cabin is 130 years old, and another one has a rare golden skin.