Rare golden snub-nosed monkeys thrive in Hubei's ancient forest thanks to conservation efforts

Deep in the mist-shrouded forests of Shennongjia National Park in central China's Hubei Province, live the golden snub-nosed monkeys, the real-life inspiration for China's mythical "Monkey King" from mythological tale "Journey to the West".

Gold-furred, blue-faced, with upturned nostrils and startlingly human-like expressions, the golden snub-nosed monkey is a rare and endangered species unique to China and is under the first-class state protection.

Over 1,600 monkeys of 11 families now inhabit in the primeval forests of Shennongjia National Park.

Observing the wild golden monkeys evokes a sense of awe as they gaze at humans with intelligent, almost familiar eyes.

"They're gentle creatures. This is one family unit - just one adult male with his mates and offspring. Come here, little one!" said Yang Jingyuan, dean of Shennongjia National Park Scientific Research Institute.

Yang has studied these animals for 30 years. The monkeys know him - even a one-month-old infant fearlessly crawls toward his hand.

The interaction with the monkeys is simple: hold peanuts in the palm, and they'll gently pry your fingers open. Their touch is unforgettable - not just for their clever, tender manner, but their uncanny resemblance to us: dexterous fingers, expressive faces, and skin that feels almost like human.

Fed on leaves, twigs, wild grasses, these monkeys demand pristine habitats. Air quality, plant diversity - everything matters. All these can be provided by Shennongjia, which scores 92.7/100 on environmental health. It shelters over 700 vertebrate species, more than 4,000 plants, and over 5,000 insects.

As its flagship species, these golden monkeys have been rigorously protected since Shennongjia's wild monkey base opened in 2005.

Rare golden snub-nosed monkeys thrive in Hubei's ancient forest thanks to conservation efforts

China's cultural and tourism market showed solid growth during the 2026 May Day holiday, with domestic trips and total spending both ahead of last year’s holiday, according to official data released on Thursday.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that 325 million domestic trips were made across the country during the 5 day holiday, representing a 3.6 percent increase from the same period last year.

Tourists spent 185.49 billion yuan (about 27.08 billion U.S. dollars), up 2.9 percent year on year, the ministry said, citing calculations from its data center.

Public cultural institutions across the country organized around 49,400 cultural events during the holiday, attracting approximately 88 million tourists, the ministry noted.

Nighttime cultural tourism in key centers remained robust, with major nighttime tourism destinations receiving more than 80.41 million visits, an increase of 6.44 percent year on year.

During the May Day holiday, around 32,000 commercial performances, excluding performances in entertainment venues, were held nationwide, generating box office revenue of 2.476 billion yuan (about 364 million U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 14.66%.

Trips by foreign nationals to and from China during the holiday rose to nearly 1.26 million, a 12.5 percent increase from a year earlier, with 436,000 travelers arriving visa-free, up 14.7 percent.

Chinese make more domestic trips, spend more money during 2026 May Day holiday