Sichuan Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys

Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is an endemic and endangered mammal in China. They are medium-sized primate with golden fur, blue face, snub nose living by the elevation of 1500m and 3000m in central-west China mainly in Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu and Hubei Province.

Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in Pingwu

Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Distribution

Estimated total Number: 15,000-20,000;

Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Distribution Map

Sichuan Province (estimated number 10,000+)

Minshan Range, Qionglaishan Range, Daxushan Range, Xiaoxiangling Range, including Jiuzhaigou, Songpan, Wenchuan, Luding, Jiulong, Mianning, Pingwu, Qingchuan, Baoxing, Tianquan. Sichuan is the main place of Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in China and home to around 70% of all Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. The important nature reserve include Wolong Nature Reserve(estimated 1000+), Tangjiahe Nature Reserve(900+), Wanglang Nature Reserve, Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve(Baihe, estimated 1700), Labahe and Baoxing Panda Reserve(150+), Gonggashan Nature Reserve, Mabian and Meigu Dafengding Nature Reserve.

Shaanxi Province (estimated number 4000+)

Qinlin Range by south of Shaanxi, including Zhouzhi, Taibai, Ningshan, Foping, Yangxian. The important nature reserve in Shaanxi include Zhouzhi Nature Reserve (estimated 2000), Panda Valley in Foping Nature Reserve (20).

Gansu Province (estimated number 800+)

Minshan Range by south of Gansu including Wenxian ,Wudu and Diebu. The important nature reserve includes Baishuijiang Nature Reserve.

Hubei Province (estimated number 1000+)

Shennongjia Range by west of Hubei including Badong in the Shennongjia Nature Reserve.

Sichuan Snub-nosed Golden Monkey Habitat Protection

A.Wildlife Protection Laws are effective and it has been strictly enforced in recent years since 2012. Violators face penalty from hunting, buying, selling wildlife products in China. Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is listed as first grade protected wildlife in China, and a EN species of IUCN. The penalty in China is up to 10 years in prison and huge fine.

B.Finance Support is available and increasing in recent 10 years in supporting wildlife protection, habitats conservation in China. Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is one of the flagship wildlife and is one of the most important species to draw financial support from government. Good money is given to local government for any new finding of flagship species such as Golden Snub-nosed Monkey.

C.Habitat Restoration and Protection are conducted since 2020 in many reserves. This include deserting former roads, relocating houses in order to connect the wildlife habitats. In Jiuzhai and Pingwu, Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys are sometimes fed during breeding seasons or cold seasons when natural food is not abundant to help the monkeys go through winter and hard times. Good example of well-conserved places include Tangjiahe, Wanglang and Wolong Reserves.

D.Monitoring and Researching: A systematical built-up of monitoring of the monkeys and other wildlife is under way. This includes using gears of camera, thermal scans, drones, human ranging to monitor the conditions, numbers of wildlife. Universities and researchers are involved. The number of Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is increasing over the years according to the monitoring statistics.

E.Eco Tour and Nature Education: Eco Tour has become popular and one of the economy planning of anywhere with wildlife resources. Villagers living nearby the reserves are mobilize and encouraged as reserve rangers that were formerly hunters. Awareness of wildlife protection is raising slowly in China.

Challenges: Habitat was formerly damaged and will take a long time to recover. Human activities (city/village expansion, roads, farming) is still the main effect of habitat loss. Climate change makes the monitoring data less stable. Public aware of wildlife protection is gaining but slow.

Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Facts

• Life Expectancy: 15-20 years in wild, 20-25 years in captive;
• Mating Season: August to October;
• Pregnancy: 6 months;
• Birthing: JMarch to April, usually 1 cub;
• Breeding: 12 months;
• Food Source: mainly herbivorous, sprouts, leaves, berries, nuts and seeds, flowers, moth, bark, insects, bird eggs;
• Elevation: between 1400m and 3300m;
• Living Condition and Territory: arboreal, territory 10-40 sqkm,
• Habits: Social, usually in large group of 20 to 200 of OMU or AMU groups & Active in Daytime, sleep in trees by night;
• Seasonal Migration: Yes, summer move high(2500m-3500m), winter move low(1500m-2000m);

Where to See Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey?

To see Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey In the Wild (or Semi-Wild conditions)

Jiuzhai (Baihe) Golden Monkey Valley is the best place to see Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys from 2025. It is a newly open place (since Oct 2025) and guarantees visitors to see Golden Monkeys. It claims to have over 1000+ monkeys and normally visitors can watch around 50+ of them (2025). Jiuzhai Golden Monkey Valley is a semi-wild place that keeps the monkeys around while not in captive. Monkeys here are still fed by workers. The chance of seeing Golden Monkeys here is 100%.

Pingwu Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Base has been shut off since August 2025. This used to be the best place to watch Golden Monkeys even though it is also a semi-wild place that monkeys are fed and not kept in captive. A new Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in Pingwu may be open in 2026 or 2027.

Tangjiahe Nature Reserve is a good place to watch Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in complete wilderness. Although it is not guaranteed that one will see Golden Monkey there since the monkeys run wild here and no one feeds them to keep them around. The chance of seeing Golden Monkeys here is up to 30% when you invest in time in the right season.

Shaanxi Zhouzhi Yuhuangmiao Reserve is a base for Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey but until 2026 the core area is still not open to the public and visitors can only get to the buffering area of the reserve that chance of seeing a wild Golden Monkey is low.

Shaanxi Foping Panda Valley is another place for Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in Shaanxi. The monkeys are not fed and live in the wild and the number is not as great, counting to around 50+ and unstable. A claimed chance of seeing the Golden Monkeys here is up to 50% chance when you invest in time and go in the right seasons.

Pingwu Wanglang is also a good place for Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in China. This reserve is big but less accessible and chance of seeing Golden Monkey is low in the wild. Pingwu Laohegou is another reserve for Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys.

The following places are the “unofficial” records of Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in Sichuan in recent years. More are unrecorded and unreported.

Pingwu Xiaohegou has recorded multiple times of Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys in the wild in different seasons. It is home to an estimated 1000+ golden monkeys. This place has great potential of watching Golden Monkeys in the wild.

Yaan Labahe has recorded 1 time of 1 Golden Monkey in April 2020 at 2000m, 1 time of 1 Golden Monkey in February 2022 at 2000m, 1 time of 20+ Golden Monkeys in July 2023 at 2500m, 1 time of 20+ Monkeys in January 2024 by 2300m, 2 times in 2025 in Apr and September of 20+ Golden Monkeys at 2500m inside Labahe Nature Reserve, and 1 male in January by around 2000m.

Yaan Yingjing has recorded one time 20+ Golden Monkeys by tourists in July 2025 by 2400m.

Wolong Nature Reserve has recorded one time 30+ Golden Monkeys by local villager in July in 2025 by 2500m.

Pengzhou of Chengdu has recorded 1 male in July 2025 by Hongkou at 1100m inside human village.

Songpan has recorded one Golden Monkey in January 2025 in Mounigou at 3100m.

Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey

To see Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in Captive

The following places will guarantee 100% chance of seeing the Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Beiing Zoo has 8 monkeys. Guangzhou Zoo has 3 Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys. Xi’an Qinling Zoo has 8 Golden Monkeys. Dalian Forest Zoo has total 44 Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys, the biggest captive group of Sichuan Golden Monkeys. Chengdu Zoo has 5, Shanghai Zoo has 4.

A new Golden Monkey Zoo will be open soon (2026 or 2027) in Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center.

Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey

What’s the Best Season to See Snub-nose Golden Monkey in the Wild?

The best season to watch Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in the wild is from October to the next April.

March to May is birthing season that some reserves will give food to the monkeys that seasonal migration is possible and brings up the chance of seeing them.

September to November is mating season when monkeys are active and possibly making noises, and males will have the brightest color in a year, making the spotting less challenging than other seasons although early autumn may still have the leafy conditions that hinters your spotting.

Overall the winter time (November to the next March) has better chance than other seasons due to the seasonal migration of monkeys moving to lower altitude for food resources, sometimes to near human villages and roads, more accessible for people to watch, given the core areas of many reserves are closed to the public.

Photograph Golden Snub-nose Golden Monkey in the Wild

Spotting the monkey in the wild and Photograph the monkey in the wild are two different things and require different planning and gears. Please plan for longer time if you wish to get good photos of Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys. Please do plan to include Jiuzhai Baihe Golden Monkey Valley if photography is important to you.

Please note Jiuzhai Baihe Golden Monkey Valley is a semi-wild place that monkeys here are fed by workers even though they are not kept in captive. If you are keen to see Golden Snub-nosed Monkey in 100% true wilderness it will be very challenging and takes much longer time. Please send your inquiry to us if you are keen to see/photograph Golden Monkeys in 100% wild conditions, we can arrange such trip for you.

Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey

Planning Ideas and Suggestions

Challenges of Spotting/Photographing Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys in the Wild:

• 1, The usually leafy conditions are inevitable for any Golden Monkey trip, making the spotting itself very hard.
• 2, The number of Golden Monkeys are good at many reserves but they live in large groups so the number of groups is limited hence the number of individual monkey doesn’t indicate your chances of seeing them but once you see them there is a good chance of seeing a large group.
• 3, Accessibility to some reserves is limited due to protection. Some reserves may shut off some parts of the reserves to visitors. For example the Pingwu Golden Monkey place and the Shuichiping of Tangjiahe are shut off to the public. Each year this may change and makes your trip planning changeable.

Solutions:

• a, Come in the right season although it still does not guarantee you 100% chance of seeing Golden Monkeys in the wild.
• b, Bring proper gear including good binoculars.
• c, Plan for longer trip.
• d, Go to Jiuzhai (Baihe) Golden Monkey Valley (since 2026).

We offer cusomize tour, private tour and group tour to sight for Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys in Sichuan. Please send your inquiries and questions.

Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey