ABSTRACT
There is no unified system of national parks in China. Different ministries adopt different park systems. National natural reserves can belong either to National Environmental Protection agencies or to National Forestry, which controls all the forest parks. The National Construction Ministry sets up the National Scenic Park system. The geological park system is a newcomer and created by the National Land Ministry. Scenic parks are considered to be similar to the national parks definition created by the IUCN. The goal of the creation of Scenic Park stated in National Regulation of Scenic Park 2006 was to provide opportunities for the people to appreciate and enjoy the cultural and natural landscape. The first 44 national scenic parks were established in 1982. By 2004, 133 national scenic parks and 452 provincial scenic parks had been established, comprising a total area of about 1 per cent of China (Qiu 2007). By the same year, there were 226 national reserves established in China, about 8.86 per cent of the national land area (NEPA 2004).
