The 26 national parks are in 14 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions on the Chinese mainland, such as the Three Mountains (Sanshan) scenic spot in Jiangsu Province, and Fangyan scenic spot in Zhejiang Province.

Vice Minister of Construction Qiu Baoxing said at a nameplate awarding meeting the new group of national parks will bring forth more responsibility for the ministry to protect the country's natural resources.

At present, there are 677 scenic parks established and approved by the government, including the 177 national parks, 452 provincial parks and 48 city-level or county-level parks. The total area of the scenic parks is more than one percent of the country's area.

Qiu said China has established a series of laws and regulations on scenic spots protection since the country started the protection plan 20 years ago.

In China, the naming of a scenic or historic site as a national one is a substantial and effective protective measure since a successful naming can bring about special protection and support from the government and the law.

According to Qiu, since 1996, the Ministry of Construction has made eight joint applications with other government departments to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and by the end of 2003, 16 national parks had been listed as World Heritage Sites.

| China Travel Update |