'Ecological civilization'

According to the forestry administration, as part of China's comprehensive strategy of improving the environment and achieving its goal of becoming an "ecological civilization"－a CPC concept designed to promote balanced, sustainable development－construction of the national parks has seen significant achievements in the protection of ecosystems and wildlife.

For example, in the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which straddles Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, the numbers of Siberian tigers and Amur leopards－both designated "critically endangered" in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature－h(huán)ave risen.

Ten Siberian tiger cubs and seven Amur leopard cubs have been born since the park was listed in 2016, Zhang Shanning, deputy head of the park's management bureau, said.

The construction of the Giant Panda National Park, which covers parts of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, has provided further protection for a number of endangered species, including the crested ibis, which is also known as "the oriental gem".