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Meet the reindeer: Spirits in the frozen forest of China's north

CGTN

Sunlight filters through the branches in the Greater Hinggan Mountains in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN
Sunlight filters through the branches in the Greater Hinggan Mountains in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

Sunlight filters through the branches in the Greater Hinggan Mountains in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

Reindeer is resting, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN
Reindeer is resting, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

Reindeer is resting, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

A reindeer walks out of the forest, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN
A reindeer walks out of the forest, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

A reindeer walks out of the forest, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

A bell swings from the reindeer's neck, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN
A bell swings from the reindeer's neck, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

A bell swings from the reindeer's neck, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

A reindeer runs through the snow, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN
A reindeer runs through the snow, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

A reindeer runs through the snow, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

A reindeer is eating food, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN
A reindeer is eating food, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

A reindeer is eating food, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

Reindeer wander among the trees, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN
Reindeer wander among the trees, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

Reindeer wander among the trees, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

A reindeer looks back, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN
A reindeer looks back, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

A reindeer looks back, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

Reindeer lie on the ground, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN
Reindeer lie on the ground, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

Reindeer lie on the ground, the Greater Hinggan Mountains, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. /CGTN

The Greater Hinggan Mountains sit at the northernmost edge of China, where the climate hovers around freezing point and snow covers the land for nearly half the year. This remote region is a striking mix of forests, wetlands and rivers – and on rare nights, the northern lights make an appearance.

But this isn't just a winter wonderland. It's also home to reindeer – a circumpolar animal perfectly adapted to the cold. Not just characters from fairy tales, these real-life forest nomads graze on moss, mushrooms, and wild ganoderma, and drink from mountain springs. The unique environment here makes it one of the few suitable habitats for them in China.

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