Tourists, especially young students, have enjoyed flocking to a research center in the Meihua Mountain in east China's Fujian Province to observe up close South China tigers, one of the world's most endangered animals.

The Meihua Mountain South China Tiger Breeding Research Center in Longyan City, Fujian Province, has been open to the public since its establishment in 1998. In recent years, it has developed a series of ecotourism attractions.

Known as the home of the South China tiger, Meihua Mountains boasts a forest coverage rate of 95.4 percent, with its pristine ecosystem serving as a "living laboratory" for children's outdoor education of natural science during holidays.

"Since its founding, our research center has been open to the public. Now we receive up to 150,000 arrivals annually," said Lin Kaixiong, center director.

Visitors can safely take a close look at South China tigers of different ages through viewing corridors at a pavilion not far from the breeding base of the center.

"We usually see tigers on the internet, social media, or TV. But seeing them in person -- their presence is truly powerful," said a tourist.
The center has introduced a special nighttime observation program for tourists to see the tigers' nocturnal habits.

It has also established the South China Tiger Museum, an interactive educational exhibition featuring real specimens, skeletal models, naked-eye 3D projections, and touchscreen displays to help visitors better understand the species' ecological traits and habitat.

Multiple primary and secondary school students across China have developed a deeper awareness of ecological conservation through firsthand observations of South China tigers in nature immersion programs.

No wild South China tiger has been spotted in China since the 1990s. The species, also known as the Chinese tiger, is unique to China and is much rarer than giant pandas.