Destination China: Yunnan

Yunnan is a province in southwestern China with an incredible varied landscape encompassing snow-capped mountains, rice terraces, lakes, rubber and tea plantations, deep gorges and tropical rain forests. Bordering Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, Yunnans selected nature reserves and places of scenic beauty in this unique region were awarded World Heritage Site status in 2003 for their very rich biodiversity and outstanding topographical diversity.It is the most biologically diverse temperate region on earth.Wild Yunnan will take the audience to some of Chinas most beautiful and stunning landscapes and homes to around 6000 species of plants, 200 mammals and 500 species of birds. Travelling from a snow-covered Shangri La in the North to the tropical Xishuangbanna in the far South, these 2 tv-programs will depict a number of endangered species…such as the Black snub nosed Monkey. With a total population of only 1700 animals surviving in the northern snowy mountains, bordering Tibet.Gibbons are the only living anthropoids in China, which as well as orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees are called the four great apes, and are advanced primates second only to humans. White-cheeked gibbons are classified as the first class national protected animals in China.China’s elephants are only found in the extreme south of the Yunnan province, bordering Burma and Laos. Their range includes Xishuangbanna and the Nangunhe Nature Reserves. They number between 2 and 300 and are highly endangered.The cute red panda, also called the lesser panda, the red bear-cat is a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. The rare Black necked crane, Oriental storks, Peacocks, The Red Crowned Crane and Hornbills are seen in different wetlands and forests following 3 big rivers from the Napa Lake in Shangri La to Xinhuna Caohai wetland, Puer and Xishuangbanna.All told with the background of incredible landscapes such as the Tiger Leaping Gorges, Shangri La, Shilin Stone forest, rivers, Honghe Terraces, rubber and tea plantations and Xishuangbanna rain forest.