Daba Shan

Daba Shan, or the Daba Mountains, is a mountain range in central China extending across parts of Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi and Hubei provinces. The range forms part of the broader Qinling-Daba mountain system and is characterised by forested ridges, deep valleys and karst features in places.

The mountains are recognised for biological diversity and contain mixed temperate forests with a range of flora and fauna, some of which are regionally endemic. Human activity includes forestry, small-scale agriculture in valley bottoms and conservation management in protected reserves.

The range developed through tectonic uplift and erosion, producing a dissected landscape that affects local climate and hydrology. Over recent decades there has been expansion of protected areas and scientific interest in the region’s biodiversity and watershed services.

Daba Shan lies inland in central China, forming part of the transition between the Sichuan Basin and the Yellow River-South China drainage divides; access is by regional roads and trailheads in the surrounding prefectures.

• Biodiversity and landscape: The Daba mountain region spans provincial boundaries in central China and is noted for forested slopes and biodiversity, including endemic plant communities.
• Protected areas: Numerous protected areas and nature reserves exist within the Daba range to conserve flora and fauna and to manage watershed protection and forestry.

• Daba Shan is a broad mountain range with several protected reserves-plan your visit around a specific scenic area or nature reserve and use the local park or reserve visitor centre as your first stop to get up-to-date trail and access information.
• Late spring to early autumn usually gives the most reliable conditions for lower-elevation walks and viewpoints; check local transport options into the reserve entrances because public services are limited and routes can be long.