See nature and wildlife in China, avoid crowds

What are some interesting (rural?) areas to visit in China for seeing nature and wildlife? I'm looking to go for short hikes on relatively untouched (or restored) natural areas, get a chance to see local wildlife/birds, and preferably avoid big crowds (which is probably difficult in China). Perhaps something similar to what one might find in some US national/state parks.

I'm looking for relatively accessible and affordable places, which rules out the obvious choices of Tibet (extra visa needed) and probably Xinjiang too. The question is general for all of China, but I'm particularly interested in places close or in Hubei.

I would prefer answers based on personal experience (from people who've been there).

Best Answer

Consider seeing HuangShan (Yellow Mountain). As with most major mountains in China it's not going to be a completely wild experience (there are still cablecars, paved paths, and hotels on the top), but compared to other Chinese mountains I've seen it's much less developed and crowded, especially if you stay up there overnight. There are also some out-of-the way / longer paths where you'll likely be the only person there, especially in the off season (I was there in November - it was beautiful). Also, it is not considered a sacred mountain so there are no temples there, etc (and also I didn't see any souvenir vendors and such, the only commercial places were the few hotels and cablecars). As for wildlife, I've managed to see wild monkeys there! As well as smaller animals (I think there was something like a chipmunk or a squirrel, don't remember exactly). Oh, and don't confuse HuangShan with HuaShan : )