A National Park is a natural area specifically protected, managed and utilized. It is dedicated to ecological tourism, scientific research and environmental education to conserve integrity of one or more typical ecological systems.
The earliest "national park" in the world is "Yellowstone National Park," established in the United States in 1872. The unveiling ceremony of the Shangri-La Potatso National Park in 2007 declared official establishment of the national park concept on the Chinese mainland. With long, historic culture and natural scenery, there are certainly other national parks in Yunnan.
1. Shangri-La Potatso National Park
Shangri-La Potatso National Park can be found in the heartland of the “Three Parallel Rivers” world natural heritage. It is located northwest of Yunnan, 22 kilometres away from Shangri-La County Town and is composed of two parts: Bitahai Lake Nature Reserve, an internationally important wetland; and Shudu Lake scenic area of “Three Parallel Rivers,” the world natural heritage Red Mountain District.
As the first AAAA national park on the Chinese mainland, it integrates environmental protection, ecological cultural tourism, environmental education and community benefit functions.
Ticket Price: Through ticket 130 yuan/person
2. Pu'er Sunriver National Forest Park
Sunriver National Forest Park, formerly known as Caiyang River National Forest Park, has a forest coverage rate reaching 94.5 percent. Dry and wet seasons are distinct throughout the year. The annual rainfall capacity is 1,600 mm. The air negative oxygen ion content is extremely high. It benefits from a pleasant climate, not too hot in summer nor too cold in winter.
There are 2104 kinds of plants and 812 kinds of wild animals in the scenic area, which is called the "natural garden.” Here is also the sole "habitat of Javanese bison" in China and is called “the hometown of bison.”
Ticket Price: 150 yuan/person for adults
3. Diqing Meili Snow Mountain National Park
Meili Snow Mountain is located at the back of Hengduan Mountains and belongs to "Three Parallel Rivers" world natural heritage area and national level scenic spot.
It has one of the most abundant areas of biodiversity in China and is one of the most temperate areas in the world. It is also one of the 17 key regions of biodiversity protection in China, which is reputed as "one of the ten most beautiful mountains in China.”
The overall length of Meili Snow Mountain is 150 kilometres. It has a particularly low latitude glaciers, complex topography plateau landform and plateau monsoon climate of four indistinct seasons but distinct dry and wet. National Geographic Magazine of the United States has rated it as one of the “Last 5 Pure Lands” in the world.
Ticket Price: Varies, according to the scenic spots to be visited
4． Lijiang Laojunshan National Park
Lijiang Laojunshan National Park is situated to the west of Lijiang, with the Jinsha River encircling its left and the Lancang River embracing its right. It is an important part of the world natural heritage “Three Parallel Rivers” national key scenic spot and is praised as “the ancestry of Yunnan Mountains” and “the image of the earth’s original appearance.”
Laojunshan National Park has abundant forest resources.The region is located in the center of differentiation and origin of spermatophyte, so it is one of the three endemic centers of spermatophyte in China, and its biodiversity status is very special and important in China and even the world.
Ticket Price: 80 yuan/person
5. Red River Dawei Mountain National Park
Red River Dawei Mountain National Park is adjacent to the China-Vietnam border in the south. The forest coverage rate is over 81.5%. Because it is located on the Tropic of Cancer, it is called “a green pearl on the Tropic of Cancer.”
With moist rainforest, seasonal rainforest, mountainous region moss, evergreen deep broad-leaved forest and mountain top moss coppice from the lowest elevation, 76.4 metres, to the highest elevation of 2,365 metres, Dawei Mountain is the region in which moist rainforest and tropical mountain forest are the most integrated.
Because of no influence of the quaternary glacial period, numerous ancient and peculiar rare animals and plants are preserved. As one of the three existing centres of biological groups, Dawei Mountain has been a refuge for ancient tropical forest animals and plants so that it is also called the “gene library of animals and plants in China.”
Ticket Price: 40 yuan/person
6. Lincang Nangun River National Park
Lincang Nangun River National Nature Reserve was created in 1980. It is a national natural reserve for wildlife and wild animals including Bengal Tiger,Indian Elephant , hog deer, white-headed gibbon, black-crested gibbon and other rare wild animals.
The conservation area is the place with most of origin of Dendrocalamus Sinicus which is the thickest bamboo known in the world and the most variety of primate animal.
Ticket Price: 50 yuan/person
