Shennongjia

Shennongjia Forest District is located in the western part of Hebei, on the border with Chongqing Province. Here are the highest mountains of Hubei Province, the highest of which is Shennunden (" Shen-Nun Peak", 3105 m) above sea level. These mountains are part of the watershed between the Yangtze Valley itself (to the south) and the basin of its tributary Hanshui (to the north).

Due to the mountainous terrain, the region’s population and agricultural land use are relatively small, and the region was thus able to maintain forest cover, which disappeared from most of the densely populated plains of eastern Hubei.

In the southwestern part of the district is located the Shennongjia State Nature Reserve (神农架 国家 расположен), which is part of the world network of biosphere reserves since 1990 ^[1] and is included in the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites ^[2] . Among the species of animals protected in the reserve is the Golden snub-nosed monkey , for which a specially protected area of ​​100 square meters has been allocated. km It is alleged that from 1990 to 2005 the number of these monkeys in the reserve increased from 500 to 1200. ^[3]

The regional center is the village of Sunbai, located in the north-east of the district. The main tourist center is the village of Muyu in the southern part of the district, near the main entrance to the reserve.

Most of the area (with the exception of the southernmost, most tourist part) is closed to foreigners.

Due to the mountainous terrain and cooler climate than in the lowland parts of the province, agriculture is poorly developed. A characteristic feature of the region (as well as other mountain districts of Hubei) is that instead of rice, peasants often grow and eat potatoes here (a culture that is not common in lowland counties). Tea growing is also developing.

In the past, forestry was the main industry in Shennongjia; in the 1960s and 80s, more than 100,000 cubic meters of timber were produced here annually, ^[3] (reaching a million cubic meters in the 1970s, ^[4] ), but since the late 1990s, the main task of foresters has been to save the forest, rather than harvesting wood. ^[3] Formally, deforestation was stopped in March 2000. ^[4]

The mining industry is also developed.

An important sector of the economy of the region is tourism. The relatively cool mountain climate attracts holidaymakers to Shennongjia during the summer, when the residents of Wuhan or Yichang suffer from heat and high humidity. There is also a ski resort for winter tourism.

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  Muyuy village, the main tourism center in the county

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  Tea plantations near the village. Muyuy

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  Small hydroelectric power station near the village Hongping

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  G209, the district’s main road (in one of its improved sections)