China establishes its first National Park system.

This marks the first time China has planned to establish a national park system on such a large scale, stretching from northern Tibet to southern Hainan Island. The protected forest areas within these national parks will cover a total area of ​​230,000 square kilometers.

Previously, China established its first nature reserve in 1956. Currently, the country has more than 10,000 similar reserves, playing a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity balance. However, Chinese authorities acknowledge that some problems have arisen in managing these areas, specifically the unclear boundaries and responsibilities between different localities when managing the same reserve. Therefore, integrating national parks into a single system is considered the best solution at present.

The new Panda National Park has been officially announced, creating a safe haven for pandas to live freely, and is expected to become a major tourist attraction in China each year.

According to a recent report, the Giant Panda National Park will be expanded across three provinces: Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu, stretching across the Minshan, Qionglai, and Daxiangling mountains, and into the Qinling Mountains. This area is the natural habitat of giant pandas, with over 75% of the population being wild pandas.

Meanwhile, the area bordering Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces will be home to the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, the only area in China where both Siberian tigers and leopards reside. Chinese officials have established "livelihood projects" for local residents, such as building villages, facilitating livestock farming, and providing training in alternative agriculture.

Furthermore, Hainan Island is China's leading tropical rainforest conservation area and the only place in the world where the Hainan black gibbon exists. The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park was established to protect this animal and its habitat.

Furthermore, some national parks focus on a wider range of animal species rather than a single specific species. For example, Wuyi Mountain National Park in Fujian Province was formed by merging the Fujian Mountain Nature Reserve, the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area, and the Jiuquan River Protection Area into a single national park under joint management. It is considered a "gene bank" for many rare and endangered animal species in China.

Similarly, the Tam Giang Nguyen National Park on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is also an important center for biodiversity, especially as the inland region faces challenges from climate change. This area is the headwaters of three of China's largest and most important rivers: the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, and the Lancang River (Mekong River).

According to China's National Forestry Administration, Sanjiangyuan National Park has employed 17,200 herdsmen to perform "ecological management" or forest ranger duties there, each guaranteed an annual income of up to 20,000 yuan (over 70 million VND).

National park systems have created suitable habitats for the conservation of wildlife, while also facilitating the lives and work of local people. Furthermore, in large national parks, visitors have the opportunity to participate in tours to see wildlife firsthand and enjoy the rich natural scenery.

Khanh Ha