Mount Qomolangma is the highest peak in the world. With approvals from the people's government of the Tibet Autonomous Region on November 3, 1988 and from the State Council in November 1993, the state-level Qomolangma Nature Reserve was established. It covers an area of 33,800 square kilometers, including two towns and 16 townships in Tingrin, Nyalam, Gyilung and Dinggye counties. The whole reserve is divided into three parts: the central reserve, the buffer zone and the developing zone. The terrain of the reserve descends from the high north to the low south, with a varied topography. The average elevation is 4,200 meters. The lowest is 1,433 meters, about 7,000 meters lower than the highest point. As a result, a unique, vertically changing climate is formed; as a saying goes: snow-capped peaks all year round, spring at the foot all year round, four seasons found in one mountain, different weather within ten li. High mountains and deep valleys, glaciers and snow-covered peaks all come to display grand views. Fourteen peaks on our planet exceed 8,000 meters high, and this place boasts five. According to surveys, some 2,348 advanced plants grow here, and among them are the precious long-leafdragon spruce and the Tibetan long-leaf pine, two species that are found only in this reserve. Following the changing topography and the climate, different plant pedigrees are distributed vertically: from the lowest point to the highest point, there are alpine sub-tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen broadleaf trees, alpine warm belt evergreen coniferous trees and hard-leaf evergreen broadleaf trees, alpine sub-cold belt evergreen coniferous trees and deciduous broadleaf trees and bushes, as well as alpine cold belt grasslands. Many precious animals live in the reserve: 53 mammals, 206 birds, 8 amphibious animals, 6 reptiles and 5 fishes. Among them, 9 species are under Class A state protection and 21 under Class B state protection. A large number of tropical plant fossils and three-nail horse herd fossils have been discovered, which make this reserve a great place to study the shaping of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and explore the mysteries of Nature.