Building peace in the minds of men and women

Dinghushan

Situated in the Guangdong Province in southern China, this biosphere reserve comprises low mountains and hilly lands of the Dayunwu Mountain Range. The area is mostly covered by (sub-) tropical forest. In contrast to the disturbed surrounding forests, the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve comprises rare primary forests of at least 400 years age. Dinghushan was China’s first Nature Reserve and had a significant importance in the conservation of the ecosystems over the last 40 years.

The biosphere reserve is also known as a major Buddhist center in South-East Asia. Its shrines attract up to 1 million visitors per year (1997) and many agencies have engaged in tourism in the area. The management of the increasing tourism has created both a challenge and chance for the biosphere reserve. Apart from several hundred seasonal residences, there are no permanent inhabitants within the biosphere reserve (1997). Within the nature reserve, research has been carried out since the 1950s and education programmes for students take place. Read more about this biosphere reserve on the UNESCO Biosphere Reserves website.