China is one of the countries with the greatest diversity of wildlife in the world. There are more than 4,400 species of vertebrates, more than 10 percent of the world's total. There are nearly 500 animal species.

A panda with his cubs

Wildlife peculiar to China includes such well-known animals as the giant panda, golden-haired monkey,

South China tiger, brown-eared pheasant, white-flag dolphin, Chinese alligator and red-crowned crane, totaling more than 100 species. The giant panda is an especially attractive sight. Heavily built, it has a docile disposition, and is delightfully adorable.

South China tiger

red-crowned crane

The 1.2-m-tall red-crowned crane is a snow-white migratory bird. A distinctive patch of red skin tops its grey-brown head, hence its name. The white-flag dolphin is one of only two species of freshwater whale in the world. In 1980, a male white-flag dolphin was caught for the first time in the Yangtze River, which aroused great interest among dolphin researchers worldwide.

A flower indigenous to China, the elegant and graceful peony is treasured as the "color of the nation and the scent of heaven." Three famous species of flowers--the azalea, fairy primrose and rough gentian--grow in southwest China. During the flowering period, mountain slopes covered with flowers in a riot of colors form a delightful contrast with undulating ridges and peaks.

In a concerted effort to protect the nation's zoological and botanical resources, and save species close to extinction, China has established 1.146 nature reserves to protect forests and wildlife.