Known as " Cradle of China Dove Tree" the Badagone Mountain Nature Reserve of 20000 hectares was established in 1982 as a sanctuary to protect subtropical transitional — type forest community and rare animal and plant species. It is sited in extreme northwestern Sangzhi County, Hunan Province, adjacent to Hubei Province.

It is highly representative of northern subtropical zone mountain land, the highest peak towers 1890 m above sea level and another 87 mountains also have an altitude of more than 1500 m above sea level. The average annual precipitation measures approximately 2105 mm, average annual temperature is 11.5 C.
Investigation revealed 1403 species of seed plants, of which over 30 species are under key state protection, such as dove tree, vilmorin dove tree, Chinese tulip tree, Chinese Douglas fir, Chinese brestschneidera and Henry emmenopterys. Most prominent is the dove tree. It grows in great quantities and forms a mixed broadleaf forest together with manyvein oak. With a purple spherical inflorescence, the flower of dove tree looks like a dove head and its two great white bracts are just the dove's wings.

Here many animals are under key state protection, including leopard, macaque, serow, musk deer, white —crested long tail pheasant, pangolin and giant salamander.