Sichuan has China’s most dramatic mountains, all of its best endemics, austere Tibetan buddhist temples, and a rich varied cuisine that makes it the finest part of the country to visit for birding. With rich and diverse bird species, Sichuan has 46 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas such as Zoige , Jiuzhai Valley and Mount Emei, ranking first in China. In March 2020, Sichuan Province has recorded a total of 757 species of wild birds, accounting for 52% of the total number of bird species in China. Among them, there are 46 Chinese endemics, accounting for 49% of the total number of endemic birds in China, which is the first in the country for avian endemism. The four bird watching tour routes including the mountains and wetlands of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, the alpine valleys of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, the Rainy Zone of West China, and Chengdu and surroundings, are attracting more tourists from all over the world to Sichuan for bird watching.
China has one of the richest floras of any country, and in the mountains of Sichuan province 12,000 species of incredibly beautiful plants have been found, ranking second in the country. Because of diverse climates and great elevation difference, Sichuan has great plant diversity and is beautiful all year round. King of Sichuan Mountains- Mount Gongga, Queen of Sichuan- Mount Siguniang, Natural Heritage- Jiuzhaigou Valley & Huanglong and Plateau Wetlands- Zoige, are the best destinations for flora tours, which cover wild flowers under most types of vegetation with a altitude higher than 1000m. The routes involve many famous scenic spots and Shu civilizations such as the Sanxingdui and the Jinsha site. Once “the Road of Shu is more difficult than climbing to the Heaven”, now the convenient transportation of aviation, railway and highway makes it possible to see all the flowers of the mountains in one day.
China Cultural Centre in Sydney and the Sichuan Department of Culture and Tourism will jointly launch the “Birds and Flowers-Sichuan Flower and Bird Watching Journey” themed online exhibition to promote the Sichuan “Bird Watching Journey” and “Flower Watching Journey” routes, unveiling a new way of leisure for both domestic and overseas Tourists in Sichuan that is not well known.
Bird Watching Tourism in Sichuan
China has a vast territory, with alpine mountains and plateaus in the west, flat and boundless plains in the east, deserts and coniferous forests in the north, and tropical rainforests in the south, the coastline and numerous islands of the southeast coast, and the two major rivers that span the mainland. China is one of the countries with the most abundant species of bird, the avian biodiversity ranks fourth in the world, right after Brazil, Peru and Colombia in Central and South America. According to the CBR Checklist of Birds of China version 8.0, China currently holds a record of 1,480 species of wild birds, of which nearly 100 are endemic to China, which means that these 100 species can only be observed in China.
Click the image above to read more about bird viewing in Sichuan.
Flower Viewing Routes in Sichuan
China is rich in wildflower resources and is famous all over the world. There are 12,000 plant species in Sichuan, ranking second in the country. The diversity of flora is closely related to the diversity of habitat types. Sichuan is located in the first and second among three steps of mainland China’s terrain, that is, in the transition zone between the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and the Yangtze Plain. There is a huge difference in elevation, and the characteristics of high in the west and low in the east are particularly obvious. The specific geographical environment and unique climatic conditions have formed a multi-level stereoscopic flora belt and a special natural landscape. Sichuan holds three major climate types, which are, the humid subtropical climate in the Sichuan Basin, the subtropical semi-humid climate in the mountains of southwestern Sichuan, and the alpine plateau of northwestern Sichuan. The vertical changes in climate have resulted in the significant vertical distribution of flora.
Click the image above to read more about flower viewing in Sichuan.
