Located in the juncture of three counties of Badong, Xingshan and Fangxian, Hubei Province, the southwest of Shennongjia National Nature Reserve is on the border of Xiangfan City, Yichang City and Wanxian County respectively. The Reserve was established in 1982 with a total area of 70,467 hectares. The Reserve encompasses three vertical vegetation zones namely subtropical, warm temperate and cold temperate; hence, it is an ideal place for ecological research on biodiversity, typicality and natural transition of vegetation. Shennongjia National Nature Reserve was accepted by the International Man and Biosphere Reserve Network of UNESCO in 1990.

• Climate

  

The Reserve lies in the transitional zone of northern subtropical to mid subtropical. It is cool, moist and rainy. Its average temperature is 7.9℃with the extreme high temperature of 36.4℃and lowest temperature of 17.7℃below zero. Its yearly precipitation averages 1,440 millimeters. July and August are rainy seasons. Generally speaking, it is in the glacier period from the end of September to the next April and is covered with hails all year round. Complicated terrain, plenty of rain, big relative height difference and other reasons make the Reserve a mysterious place.