China's National Parks: 23 Protected Areas Including Jiuzhaigou, Zhangjiajie, and Huanglong

China has formally established a **national park system** distinct from its broader nature reserve network. The first pilot, **Sanjiangyuan National Park** (Source of Three Rivers), launched in 2016; the first batch of five official national parks was announced in 2021. As of 2023, **23 national parks** have been designated or are in advanced planning, covering ~25.7 million hectares (2.7% of China's land area).

Flagship National Parks (First Batch, 2021)

• Sanjiangyuan (Qinghai): Tibetan Plateau headwaters of Yangtze, Yellow, Mekong. 190,700 km². Snow leopard, Tibetan antelope.
• Giant Panda (Sichuan/Gansu/Shaanxi): Connects 67 panda reserves. 27,000 km². 70% wild panda habitat.
• Northeast Tiger & Leopard (Jilin/Heilongjiang): Amur tiger/leopard corridor. 14,600 km².
• Hainan Tropical Rainforest (Hainan): Island's primary rainforest. Hainan gibbon (world's rarest primate). 4,400 km².
• Wuyishan (Fujian/Jiangxi): UNESCO mixed site. Danxia landforms, tea culture. 1,280 km².

Other Notable Designated / Candidate Parks

• Jiuzhaigou (Sichuan): Famous travertine lakes, waterfalls; UNESCO.
• Huanglong (Sichuan): Calcite terraces, golden snub-nosed monkey; UNESCO.
• Zhangjiajie (Hunan): Sandstone pillars (Avatar inspiration); UNESCO.
• Wulingyuan (Hunan): Includes Zhangjiajie; UNESCO.
• Three Parallel Rivers (Yunnan): Nu, Lancang, Jinsha gorges; UNESCO.
• Mount Taishan (Shandong): Sacred peak; UNESCO.
• Mount Huangshan (Anhui): Granite peaks, pines, hot springs; UNESCO.
• Jiuhua Mountain (Anhui), Lushan (Jiangxi), Emeishan (Sichuan): Sacred Buddhist mountains; UNESCO.

Management

Administered by the **National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA)** under the Ministry of Natural Resources. Goals: ecological protection, scientific research, education, recreation—with strict zoning (core, buffer, experimental). Represents China's shift from "paper parks" to globally aligned protected area standards.