In October 2021, China established its first national parks: the Sanjiangyuan National Park, Giant Panda National Park, Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park and Wuyishan National Park. Five years later, they have delivered measurable ecological successes.

Covering a total protected area of 230,000 square km, the five parks now conserve nearly 30 percent key terrestrial wildlife species under national-level protection.

The Sanjiangyuan National Park, China's largest, sits at the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. It protects the Tibetan antelope, wild yak and snow leopard. Over the past five years, downstream water flow has increased 50 percent, strengthening a vital ecological lifeline.

The Giant Panda National Park now shelters more than 70 percent of China's wild panda population. The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park is the nation's only stable breeding ground for wild Siberian tigers and Amur leopards, known in China as northeast tigers and northeast leopards. Thanks to stringent protection, tiger numbers have rebounded from 27 a decade ago to approximately 70 today, while leopards have increased from 42 to around 80.

The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park is China's best-preserved and most biodiverse contiguous tropical rainforest. It protects the Hainan gibbon, the world's rarest primate and one of the most critically endangered species on the planet. The Wuyishan National Park holds a UNESCO dual designation for cultural and natural heritage, protecting species such as Cabot's Tragopan, a medium-sized pheasant endemic to China.

The National Park Law, which took effect on January 1, prioritizes harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. The law establishes three core principles: putting ecological protection first, conserving the country's most representative ecosystems and serving public interests. The central goal is to build a nature reserve system centered around national parks, safeguarding the authenticity and integrity of natural ecosystems while maintaining national ecological security.

Looking ahead, China aims to build the world's largest national park system. A spatial plan outlines 49 candidate areas covering roughly 1.1 million square km—990,000 square km of protected land (10.3 percent of China's land territory) and 110,000 square km of marine area. The second group of national parks is currently under assessment.