Green paradise

Shennongjia's well-preserved natural beauty recently earned it the privilege of hosting the first China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day and a world natural heritage conference on June 10. [Photo by Yang Feiyue/China Daily]

Precious fish have been carefully raised by Fu Yinian.

Fu, 53, has been in the business of raising the fish for more than 20 years.

To protect the fish, Fu and other workers get wild fry from a village that is four hours away during the breeding season, usually in September.

There's also a method for feeding.

Salamanders are carnivores and need fresh food, which has to be carefully prepared.

Fu says she has to feed them twice a week in summer and once weekly when as it gets colder.

"We also need to keep them under observation. Sometimes, some of them get sick, so intervention is needed."

Various kinds of fish are kept in the many open-air ponds near the wood cabin, making the site not only a haven for fish but also a tourist attraction.

"We get lots of visitors," says Fu.

In additional to the monkeys and the fish, pandas have also been introduced to Shennongjia.