The establishment of nature reserves in the Qinling Mountains started with the rescue of rare and endangered species.
    
meters above sea level, it is also the highest mountain to the east of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Even in the hot days of summer, a cold wind roars on the snow-capped mountain top. As the ancient saying goes "Mount Taibai always wears a snow cap, even at the height of summer."

Mount Taibai was approved as a national nature reserve in 1986. It lies in the transitional area between subtropical and temperate zones. The climates on its north and south slopes are visibly different and, as a result, its ecology is one of species diversity. There are 46,000 hectares of natural forest under protection in the Taibai Nature Reserve, and the forest vegetation cover accounts for 82 percent. According to available statistics, in the nature reserve there are over 1,800 spermatophytes, some 40 of which are unique to China, including the particularly rare Taibai redwood, which is found only in the Qinling Mountains. It is distributed over 5,376 hectares; such continuous stretches of redwood forest are unique in China and the rest of the world.

There are 33 wild animal species under state protection at Mount Taibai. Moreover, the mountain is the northern limit of wild giant panda distribution, so it is of high ecological value for giant panda research.

At over 3,000 meters above sea level, the remains of a Quatemary glacier have been preserved in its relative entirety right up to the present day.