Located at the Yuzhong County, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, the Xinglong Mountain Nature Reserve was set up in 1982. It occupies an area of 33, 301 hectares, covering the two mountains of Maxian and Qiyun.

The Reserve is located on elevations of 1,800 to 3, 670m above sea level with a frigid damp climate, its average annual temperature is 4. 1 ° c and annual precipitation measures 620mm.

As a green island in the Loess Plateau, the Reserve houses more than 500 species of higher plants, of which 485 species are seed plants, 5 species are pteridophytes, 16 species are bryophytes. Among them the most representative type of forest tree is an ancient spruce with its ecosystem.

In the Reserve, there are a lot of wild animals, of which leopard, wood musk, eagle owl, falcon, etc. are under the key national protection. As far as birds is concerned, 57 species have been discovered, of which summer residents take the majority in terms of not only species, but also quantity.

There is also one of the Taoism scenic spots with over 70 ancient temples alone on the Maxian and Qiyun mountains.