Nanyang reserve granted Forest Oxygen Bar distinction

The 2016 China Forest Oxygen Bar Forum was held at the People's Daily Newspaper Office in Beijing, where a list of the second collection of 47 “China Forest Oxygen Bars” was released.

Baotianman Natural Reserve in Neixiang county of Nanyang has been listed, adding an extra name to the “China Forest Oxygen Bars” located in Henan, whose number thereafter has reached five, winning another laurel for the province's reputation for eco-friendly tourism.

Niuxinduo scenic spot in Baotianman. [Photo by Wang Tiandi/dahe.cn]

Resting to the east of the Qinling Mountains and to the south of Funiu Mountain, Baotianman boasts a well-preserved forest system, and has been granted as one of the world's biosphere reserves by UNESCO in 2001.

With 99.8 percent of its area covered by greenery, Baotianman is home to over 3,000 species of plants, more than 210 species of terrestrial vertebrates and over 260 species of butterflies, which has garnered the area notoriety as a “bank of rare natural species”.

A beam of morning sunshine gleams over Baotianman. [Photo by Wang Tiandi/dahe.cn]

To maintain that the region is worthy of the title, “Forest Oxygen Bar”, important indexes to measure air quality, such as negative ion concentration, PM2.5 and airborne bacteria are regularly tested and recorded in Baotianman. The negative ion concentration reaches an annual average of 7,200 per cubic meter, while PM2.5 recordings are in such a low quantity that they can barely be recognized, with 0.006 milligram per cubic meter. Airborne bacteria reading show a remarkably low average of 162 cfu per cubic meter.

The Camel Peak scenic spot in Baotianman. [Photo by Wang Tiandi/dahe.cn]

The release of “China Forest Oxygen Bars” was sponsored by Forest and Human magazine, a publication ran by the State Forestry Administration of PRC which aims to promote ecological culture as well as eco-friendly tourism. The activity, first initiated in 2015, has currently listed 84 oxygen bars and will continue to be held annually.

All of the candidate regions were evaluated according to the scientific analysis of various indexes, negative ion concentration, PM2.5 and airborne bacteria becoming determining factors.

Breath-taking white clouds and green mountains in Baotianman. [Photo by Wang Tiandi/dahe.cn]

A cluster of azalea blossoms bloom in Baotianman. [Photo by Wang Tiandi/dahe.cn]