The establishment of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park three years ago was a landmark achievement marking Hainan’s contributions to China’s ecological progress. On Nov. 7th, the Forestry Department of Hainan Province announced the achievements made by the Park over the past three years.

An infant Hainan Gibbon reaches for a fruit in the Bawangling section of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. (Photo: Li Tianping/Hainan Daily)

In order to manage the area’s natural resources, the Park has made two national breakthroughs. First, the owners of different natural resources assets within the national park have been clearly defined, providing property rights support for the effective supervision, strict protection, and exercise of natural resource ownership rights. Second, the Park was the first national park in the country to carry out Gross Ecological Product (GEP) accounting, and has now done so for four consecutive years.

In order to conserve and restore the park environment, management targets have been set for the tropical rainforest ecosystem, with targeted conservation measures for rare species such as the Hainan Gibbon, natural historical relics, and the natural landscape. The population of Hainan Gibbons, the flagship species of the tropical rainforest, has increased to a current total of 42 individuals living in seven family groups, and the first group of Hainan Eld’s Deer have now been released to the wild. Special surveys of national key protected animals have been completed, including the Germain's Swiftlet, Chinese Pangolin, Common Water Monitor, Hainan Partridge, Hainan Peacock-pheasant, Silver Pheasant, and Red Junglefowl. Images of the Chinese Pangolin were recorded at 29 sites in the Jianfengling area, showing that a stable group of pangolins resides in the area. Meanwhile, the application for dual intangible cultural heritage status for the Hainan tropical rainforest and the traditional settlements of the Li people has passed expert review.

The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park has also developed a high-level scientific research platform in order to promote international cooperation and community participation, and a global think tank of over 300 international and domestic national park experts has been formed.