Yunlong Tianchi National Nature Reserve in Dali Bai autonomous prefecture has become the first reserve in Yunnan province to be included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List, according to Yunnan Daily.

Grethel Aguilar, director-general of the IUCN, sent a congratulatory letter to the reserve team on Friday, praising their work and expressing hope that Yunlong Tianchi could serve as a model for other sites in China and around the world.

The Green List is a global initiative launched by the IUCN to promote biodiversity conservation within protected areas. It serves as a global standard for evaluating the effectiveness of their management.

To date, 25 nature reserves in China have been included on the list. Yunlong Tianchi's inclusion marks a major recognition of China's achievements in biodiversity conservation and ecological management.

The reserve will continue to improve its comprehensive biodiversity monitoring system and intensify efforts to protect endangered species, like the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, along with their habitats.

It aims to explore innovative pathways for the synergistic development of ecological protection and green industries and strives to become a regional model of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, according to Yunnan Daily.