Mao'er Mountain, the Pinnacle of South China: An Ecological Legend Amidst Mountains and Rivers

Mao'er Mountain, known as "Mount Zhaoyao" in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, is the highest peak in South China. Standing tall at 2,141.5 meters in the Yuechengling Mountains, it boasts titles such as "Summit of the Five Ridges" and "Heart of the Lijiang River." As the source of the Lijiang, Zijiang, and Xunjiang rivers, its primeval forest holds a water conservation capacity of 47 million cubic meters, earning it the name "Lijiang Water Tower." It sustains the spiritual essence of Guilin's landscapes. Upgraded to a national nature reserve in 2003, it joined the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2011 and was honored as a "Bagui Role Model" in 2024, becoming a paragon of ecological conservation and community co-construction. This is a haven of biodiversity, home to 2,530 species of vascular plants and 491 species of vertebrates, including 12 nationally protected species such as the *Taxus chinensis var. mairei* (Southern Chinese Yew) and the Mao'er Mountain salamander. It is hailed as the "Green Treasure House of the Nanling Mountains." The unique mountain climate creates spectacular phenomena like seas of clouds, Brocken spectres, and rime. The winter wonderland, a "Southern Snow Viewing Resort," complements the cool summer "Natural Oxygen Bar." From the summit, the alpine wetlands at the source of the Lijiang River, the red legacy of Laoshanjie, and the colorful autumn scenery of Wild Man Lake unfold, composing a majestic landscape reminiscent of "the grandeur of Mount Tai, the peril of Mount Hua, the serenity of Mount Lu, and the elegance of Mount Emei." From scientific monitoring to ecotourism, Mao'er Mountain employs intelligent management to safeguard nature and community co-management to invigorate the green economy, writing a new chapter of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature in the midst of conservation and development.