Songshan National Nature Reserve is located in the northwest part of Yanqing County, about 90 kilometers from downtown Beijing. 

It is the first and only national-level nature reserve in the Beijing municipality. As the elevation drop of the area is from 627.6m to 2198.4m, it is common to see a vertical distribution of plants.

At the end of May, when the city of Beijing has entered into summer, the spring still hangovers at the deep mountains in Beijing. 

The pear flowers are scattered lightly on a pond in the forest, and some of them are still on the tree. 

The nature reserve sits next to the Yudu Mountain Natural Scenic Area, one of the little-known pieces of virgin lands in Beijing. As the weather turns drier and hotter, the Songshan National Nature Reserve has closed its border to the scenic area to protect its forests. 

(All photos taken by CGTN's Xing Fangyu, May 17, 2020)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)