The Wuyishan State Key Nature Reserve is located in the northern part of Wuyi Mountains, with an area of 56,000 hectares. Huanggang Mountain, its main peak, is 2,158m above sea level, making it the highest peak in Southeast China. Some 98.3 percent of the reserve is covered by forests. It is the largest and best-preserved sub-tropical forest ecological system in the southeastern part of China. It is home to 2,466 higher plant species, 840 lower plant species; 475 vertebrate species and 4,557 insects of 31 orders. Its abundant animal and plant resources make the Wuyishan Nature Reserve a "Green Kingdom" and a "World Biological Window". It is also known as a "Paradise of Birds", a "Asian Center for the Study of Amphibious Animals and Reptiles". It is a rare natural legacy of mankind, and an ideal place for ecological tour. In 1979, it was listed as a state key nature reserve by the State Council. In 1987, it was listed as a world biosphere protection area by the United Nations, and in 1992, as a global diversification protection area, also by the United Nations.
