How Xishuangbanna reserve grows to be a national park

A research team arrived in Wild Elephant Valley in Yunnan Province on Oct. 15 to study the ecological protection, warning system and breeding and rescue center there. It is also a tour to investigate how the Xishuangbanna natural reserve grew to be a national park.

Located in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture of southern Yunnan, the natural reserve was established in 1958. Consisting of the Mengla, Shangyong, Menglun, Mengyang and Mangao areas, the reserve boasts the total area of 241,200 hectares and make up 12.7% of the prefecture.

In 2008, the reserve was approved by Yunnan provincial government to seek for the development path as a national park. While the total area of the reserve was getting larger and larger, staffs of the reserve were also trying to discover better ways to protect the area.

A national park is an upgrade to a reserve for a national park mainly focuses on the original status and regional integrality of natural ecosystems, said a local forest official. Multiple ways have been used to protect, investigate and monitor the area. Besides, sharing ideas and service functions were emphasized in the national park, which aims to be a fine place for citizens to get close to nature.

Photos by Chen Fei; trans-editing by Li Hengqiang