China National Park Database

Giant Panda National Park （大熊猫国家公园）

Shaanxi Province, Sichuan Province & Gansu Province

Date established: October 29, 2018

Website (Chinese): http://www.giantpandanationalpark.com/

Overview:

Giant Panda National Park was established in 2018, extending across three provinces in central China (Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces) with the primary aim of protecting and restoring giant panda habitat in that region.

Tourism attractions:

1. China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas
2. Sai Ling Snow Mountain
3. White Horse Wang Lang Scenic Area

Sustainability issues:

1. Management – balance zoning, development, resource protection, and managerial integration
2. Policy – clarify policies and improve conservation funding mechanisms
3. Science / Technology – incorporate big data technology to inform “smart park” management and construction

Northeast Tiger Leopard National Park （东北虎豹国家公园）

Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces

Date established: August 19, 2017

Website (Chinese): http://hubaogy.cn/index/index/index.html

Overview:

The Northeast Tiger Leopard National Park was officially established on August 19, 2017. It is located in Northeastern China (Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces), covering nearly 14,600 square kilometers. It aims to protect and restore the habitats and wild population of northeastern tigers and leopards.

Tourism attractions:

1. Daxinggou-Shifodong Forest Park
2. Dongjing City (capital of the ancient Jin Dynasty)
3. Wangqing Lanjia Arboretum

Sustainability issues:

1. Eco-migration – need for enterprises to assume administrative functions and the problems of ecological migration and livelihood transformation
2. Develop a market-based mechanism for local livelihood improvement – speed up the transfer of the social functions of the state-owned forest industry to the government and optimize the capital structure of residents’ livelihoods
3. Sustainable forest product sourcing – establish a central forest farm outside the central reserve

Potatso (Pudacuo) National Park （普达措国家公园）

Yunnan Province

Date established: October 26, 2016

Website (English): http://www.pdcuo.com/english/index.html

Overview:

Potatso National Park, established as one of the ten Chinese (pilot) national parks in October 2016, is located in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. The park covers an area of 737 square kilometers, with rich natural resources and ecological landscapes.

Tourism attractions:

1. Wide variety of mammals
2. Numerous species of birds
3. Rich vegetation types

 Sustainability issues:

1. Institutional governance – enhance the status and powers, and responsibilities of the Pudacuo Park management agency to support ecological protection and construction.
2. Funding – Continue to improve a guaranteed funding mechanism
3. Joint development – strictly follow the guidance of China’s new national park system, increase efforts in ecological protection and the protection of the lives of indigenous residents

Shennongjia National Park (神农架国家公园)

Date established: November 17, 2016

Website (Chinese): http://www.snjpark.com/

Website (English): N/A

Overview:

Shennongjia National Park, established in November 2016, is located in central Hubei Province, China. This area constitutes the watershed of the Yangtze and Hanjiang Rivers, which are important water resources of the area.

Tourism attractions:

1. Shennong Peak
2. Jinhouling
3. Xiaolongtan

Sustainability issues:

1. Hydro resources – loose soil, coupled with large rainfall, creates landslides and debris flow; water used by local residents for living and working is polluting the local rivers, and dams have greatly affected the ecological environment of the river
2. Deforestation – when the People’s Republic of China was founded (1949), the state carried out large-scale excessive felling, destroying forest vegetation that has yet to recover

Qianjiangyuan National Park（钱江源国家公园）

Zhejiang Province

Date established: July 15, 2016

Website (Chinese): http://www.qjynp.gov.cn/

Overview:

Qianjiangyuan National Park, located in Kaihua County, Zhejiang Province, is the birthplace of the Qiantang River. It has a large area of primeval forests and is the main habitat for rare and endangered species, such as the white-necked long-tailed pheasant and the black chamois.

Tourism attractions:

1. Su Zhuang area
2. Changhong area
3. He Tian area

Sustainability issues:

1. Legal system – laws and regulations of Qianjiangyuan National Park remain separated in different sets of regulations (e.g., Nature Reserves, Scenic Areas or National Forest Parks); there is no systematic/overarching law governing Qianjiangyuan National Park
2. Easement – collective woodland easements cost too much; resident awareness must be increased to encourage resident support for ecological conservation
3. Streamlined governance – there are too many institutions and confusion; the area’s protection mechanism over time has changed, resulting in many overlapping institutions, so the issue of jurisdiction ownership needs to be solved

Nanshan National Park (南山国家公园）

Hunan Province

Date established: August 8, 2016

Website (Chinese): http://www.nsgjgy.com/

Overview:

Nanshan National Park was established in August 2016. It is one of China’s first ten pilot national parks, located in Hunan Province with a total area of 635.94 square kilometers.

Tourism attractions:

1. 342 species of birds
2. Baiyun Lake Wetland
3. Peat moss swamp in Zhongshan

Sustainability issues:

1. Bird Poaching – to improve the living environment, local villagers will catch birds, so it’s necessary to publicize protection awareness of birds and form relevant regulations to improve the protection awareness among residents
2. Livelihoods – problems such as returning farmland to forests, felling indiscriminately, and seizing forest land have aggravated soil erosion and natural resources in Hunan Nanshan National Park, so the local government needs to provide corresponding jobs for residents within the national park and promote awareness of environmental protection
3. Balance of Humans and Nature – the value of Hunan Nanshan National Park lies in its biological diversity; residents should thus protect the environment while recognizing our vital dependence on nature

Wuyishan National Park (武夷山国家公园）

Fujian Province

Date established: June 2016

Website (Chinese): http://wysgjgy.fujian.gov.cn/

Overview:

Wuyishan officially became part of the ten pilot national parks in China in June 2016. Located in Fujian Province, it was the only one of the original ten to join UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere program. It also has UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Tourism attractions:

1. Wuyi Grand Canyon
2. Ancient Cliffs
3. Yingzui Rock

 Sustainability issues:

1. Temporal Scale – the park must effectively address both immediate and long-term interests
2. Visitor Awareness – strengthen marketing / communication to improve ecological awareness among visitors
3. Conservation Support – improve resident awareness of and support for conservation efforts, and improve the living standards of community residents

Great Wall National Park （北京长城国家公园）

Beijing

Date established: November 2017

Website (Chinese): http://www.badaling.cn/

Overview:

The Great Wall is a representative cultural heritage in China. It is the only national park in China with world cultural heritage as its core resource. The Great Wall is the preservation and symbol of Chinese history. It is the crystallization of ancient Chinese working people. It is also a symbol of ancient Chinese culture and the pride of the Chinese.

Tourism attractions:

1. Badaling Forest Park
2. Juyongguan Great Wall
3. Mutianyu Great Wall

 Sustainability issues:

1. Ecological Protection – strengthen the protection and management of plants and vegetation around the Great Wall, and maintain the natural ecological resources of the Great Wall
2. Publicity – expand the marketing and publicity of the Great Wall, so that people everywhere can better understand and appreciate what it is and represents
3. Tourist Behavior – punish tourists (domestic or international) who affect the ecological environment and safety of the scenic spot

Qilian Mountain National Park （祁连山国家公园）

Gansu and Qinghai Provinces

Date established: October 29, 2018

Website (Chinese): http://www.forestry.gov.cn/qls/index.html

Overview:

Located on the border of Gansu and Qinghai Provinces, Qilian Mountain National Park conserves an area of 50,200 square kilometers within the Qilian Mountain region. This national park was established in October 2018 to protect forests, grasslands, glaciers, deserts, and other ecosystems.

Tourism attractions:

1. Zhuoer Mountain
2. Menyuan Rape Flower Sea
3. Chaka Salt Lake

Sustainability issues:

1. Environmental protection – restore the fragile ecosystem
2. Tourism development – it’s challenging to develop and promote tourism when the economy is depressed; develop tourism to improve community livelihoods
3. Poverty alleviation – motivate local residents to participate in tourism