Overview

Located on the western edge of Sichuan Basin, the transitional zone between Chengdu Plain and Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Yaan City was called Yazhou Prefecture in ancient China. Covering an area of 15.3 thousand square meters with a population of 1.47milloin, Yaan City governs the city proper and seven counties: Tianquan County, Lushan County, Baoxing County, Yingjing County, Hanyuan County and Shimian County. As a cultural city with a long history, Yaan was a territory of “the Prefecture of Yazhou” and then part of “Kingdom of Black-Dressed Qiang People”. As one of the silk production areas in ancient South China, Yaan was a regime capital of prefectures and circuits of the past dynasties. There are two national forest parks, six provincial scenic and historic interest areas, one provincial forest park, one national nature reserve, one provincial nature reserve, and two regional scenic and historical interest areas in Yaan City.

As the world- famous hometown of giant pandas, Yaan is place where the 1^s panda was discovered. The number and density of the giant pandas in Yaan rank the 1^st over the world. After the founding of People’s Republic of China, Yaan offered the country 120 giant pandas, 16 of which were presented to 16 countries as gifts: the Soviet Union, America, the UK, France, Japan, North Korea, New Zealand and etc .The government has established a nature reserve in Baoxing County, which become a paradise for over 200 rare animals including giant pandas, snub-nosed monkeys, antelopes, and white-lipped deer to inhabit and multiply.