The Qinling National Botanical Garden will be developed on the site of the Shaanxi provincial botanical garden, said officials with the State Forestry Administration.

    The program will be jointly implemented by the forestry administration, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the governments of Shaanxi and the provincial capital Xi'an.

    Covering an area of more than 458 square kilometers in the Qinling Mountains, the park will be used for ecological tourism, teaching purposes, scientific research and biodiversity protection.

    Qinling, which is the watershed of the drainage areas of the Yangtze and the Yellow River, China's two longest rivers, divides northern temperate zones from subtropical zones. It is home to 3,446 sorts of seed plants, more than 600 species of amniote, 5,000 species of insects and some rare protected animals includingthe giant panda, red ibis, takin, and golden monkey.

    Shaanxi Provincial Botanical Garden, a top class botanical garden located at an altitude that ranges from 460 to 3000 meters, stretches over 40 kilometers from north to south. It is famous for its varied climate, landscape and Taoist culture. Enditem