Rare golden snub-nosed monkeys caught on camera in northwest China's Xi’an

An increasing number of endangered Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys have been spotted at a forestry farm in Xi'an City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, as years of concerted conservation efforts pay off.

Featuring flattened noses and golden-colored furs, the monkeys under top-level state protection live in temperate forests of mountainous highlands in the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi and Hubei respectively in the southwestern, northwestern and central parts of China.

Recently, staff members of the Taiping forestry farm in Xi'an saw a rare footage of golden snub-nosed monkeys captured by infrared cameras they installed earlier in the wild. In the footage, a male Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey was seen walking curiously towards the camera and trying to grab it with his hands.

"We have spotted Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys in the same area for three consecutive years. There are individual monkeys and a family of three. Our patrol workers have also found the traces of these monkeys in other places. The scope of their activity has increasingly enlarged over recent years," said Zhang Jianming, deputy director of the Taiping State-owned Ecological Forestry Farm.

Zhang said the forestry farm has placed multiple infrared cameras in the areas under its jurisdiction since 2021, which have captured images of four rare species under first-level state protection, including the golden monkey and golden takin, as well as nine species under second-level state protection, such as black bear and yellow-throated marten.

"It speaks volume for the ever-improving environment of Qinling Mountains. The eco-protection work has achieved good results. Our forest farm will continue to intensify wild animal protection, striving to make the sky of Qinling bluer, the mountains greener, and the water clearer," Zhang said.

The Qinling Mountains, mainly in Shaanxi Province, cover more than 50,000 square kilometers and are dubbed as China's "gene bank" of wild biology as it houses a huge variety of plants and wild animals.

Rare golden snub-nosed monkeys caught on camera in northwest China's Xi’an

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced major RISC-V achievements at a sub-forum during the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) on Thursday, highlighting a new path for open-source chip industrial application.

RISC-V is an open-source, flexible and efficient processor architecture that has gained global attention.

Two landmark achievements were introduced at the forum. Xiangshan, an open-source high-performance RISC-V processor system, has set a new international record and includes the world's first open-source network-on-chip IP.

"The Xiangshan processor core now ranks among the global top tier in performance. Several companies are already developing actual chips based on it. Real market demand, high-level expertise, and high quality are the core elements for open-source chip projects to transition from the lab to industrial deployment," said Bao Yungang, a researcher at the Institute of Computing Technology, CAS.

While Ruyi, a native RISC-V operating system, became the first to support the RVA23 high-performance international standard.

Together, Xiangshan and Ruyi have formed two RISC-V open-source communities led by China.

Currently scientific research teams in China have constructed a full-chain RISC-V development system, strengthening China’s voice in shaping global open-source technology standards.

The 2026 ZGC Forum, running in Beijing through Sunday, is focused on the theme of "Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation". Since its founding in 2007, this forum has become a major international event for advancing science and technology innovation.

China unveils major RISC-V achievements, opens new path for open-source chip industry