China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration said Saturday that conservation conditions have improved across the country’s world natural heritage sites, citing assessments from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
According to the administration, 90 percent of China’s heritage sites received excellent or good overall ratings in IUCN evaluations, above the global average of 61 percent and the Asian average of 68 percent.
China is home to 15 world natural heritage sites and four sites recognised for both cultural and natural features — the largest number of any country. The sites span more than 80,000 square kilometres across 20 provinces and autonomous regions, covering mountain ranges, forests, wetlands, deserts and coastline ecosystems.
In recent years, China has centred its conservation efforts on a protected area system built around national parks. The forestry administration said more than 80 percent of heritage sites have undergone nature-based restoration work aimed at preserving the authenticity and integrity of their ecosystems.
The administration also noted that the country has expanded channels for green industries linked to heritage sites, including ecotourism, nature-study tours and under-forestry economic activities. These efforts are part of a broader approach to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation that links site preservation with local economic development.
China’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, observed annually on the second Saturday of June, serves as the backdrop for the announcement. The day was established to raise public awareness of heritage preservation and is marked by events coordinated by cultural and forestry authorities across the country.
China’s world natural heritage sites include areas such as the Wulingyuan Scenic Area — also known as Zhangjiajie — Jiuzhaigou Valley, Huanglong, the South China Karst, Mount Sanqingshan, and the Chengjiang Fossil Site, among others. These sites attract millions of domestic and international visitors each year, placing ongoing demands on conservation management and tourism regulation.
China first gained UNESCO World Heritage listings in 1987, when Mount Tai and the Great Wall were among the initial sites inscribed. Natural heritage designations followed in the 1990s, with Wulingyuan and Jiuzhaigou among the earliest. Since then, the number of sites has grown steadily, reflecting both China’s geographic diversity and its institutional capacity to nominate and manage heritage areas.
Looking ahead, the administration said heritage sites will be incorporated into the monitoring framework for protected areas. It also plans to establish and improve management systems for natural heritage protection aimed at standardised oversight.
The IUCN assessments offer an external benchmark for conservation outcomes. The global conservation body evaluates World Heritage sites periodically to track the state of conservation and identify emerging threats. While the overall positive ratings reflect improvements in management capacity, the evaluations also flag ongoing pressures from tourism development, infrastructure projects, and climate-related risks at certain sites.
Sources: gov.cn/SCIO
