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Dashanbao is the important national wetlands, which is located in the west of Zhaotong City, only 79 kilometers away from downtown of Zhaotong, with the altitude of ranging from 3100 to 3140 meters above sea level. The annual average temperature here is 6.2 degree celsius. As the hibernal habitat of the black-necked cranes that are under state first-class protection.
Dashanbao is by now well known by the scientific and technical workers and photographers both at home and abroad. Every winter, vast multitudes of scientific and technical workers and photographers shouldered their packs and climbed up to Dashanbao, like George as the Director of International Crane Foundation, who ever dispatched the hibernal expeditions of the black-necked cranes in the northeast of Yunnan province to go into Dashanbao.
The total area of Dashanbao is about 19200 hectares. Dashanbao nature reserve is located at the Wulian Peak mountain range in the northeast of Yunnan, and Dashanbao is the dominant peak. The elevations are mainly from 3000 to 3200 meters above sea level. Among which the highest altitude is 3364 meters while the lowest altitude is located the Jinggou intersection on the borders between the foot of the continental slope and Ludian County at an altitude of 2210 meters.
The relative relief is about 1154 meters. Dashanbao belongs to the warm plateau monsoon climate, cool in summer and cold in winter. The sunshine duration is long, the temperature difference is big, the frost-free period is long, and the annual solar radiation amount is much, which is good for the growth of crops. The rainfall there averages 1165mm a year.
The space-time location of the precipitation is not well balanced, dominating by time periods from May to October with more rain. Dashanbao is the subalpine wetlands ecosystems for the hibernal habitat of the black-necked cranes that is currently the highest altitude in China.
In the region of Dashanbao had the stretches of swamps and marshes connecting with the atmosphere, lithosphere and pedosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere, which have the special ecosystem structure and function, were called as "the kidney of the earth.”Dashanbao had become the ideal hibernal habitat of the black-necked cranes that are one of the world’s most endangered species.
The fall and winter seasons could be a good time to go to Dashanbao. From early August to early October, there're acres of oats and meadow bank on the mountains. Tier upon tier of grasses are growing on the hill, beautifully colored, which could decorate the ancient and desolate Dashanbao into the dream world of former times like a haven of peace and happiness.
Dashanbao at the moment could be described as the paradise for photographers. We can see the professional photographers who shouldered the devices to choose the scenes in all directions. You sometimes see groups of the black-necked cranes that are prowling about and dwelling on these two places like Tiaodunhe reservoir at Dashanbao and Dahaizi reservoir. In winter, visitors could travel to Dashanbao to see the black-necked cranes.