On October 12, 2021, China officially established its first five national parks: the Three-River-Source National Park, the Giant Panda National Park, the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, and the Wuyishan National Park. The designation marked a new phase in conservation for Hainan's rainforests.
Over the past five years, the tropical rainforest at the heart of Hainan Island — an important habitat for rare species — has shown that ecological conservation and community development can benefit one another.
One of the most significant achievements has been the recovery of the Hainan gibbon population. Once on the brink of extinction, this critically endangered primate now numbers 44 individuals across seven groups, marking the only gibbon population in the world to experience sustained growth.
The park has also recorded 91 newly discovered species of wild plants and animals. More than 95% of its primary forests and 55% of its natural forests are effectively protected, while forest cover remains at 95.9%. Both the share of major water bodies meeting water quality standards and the share of days with good or excellent air quality have remained at 100%. Negative oxygen ion concentrations consistently exceed 8,000 per cubic centimeter, earning the rainforest its reputation as a "natural oxygen bar."
The benefits of conservation extend beyond the forest. Hainan has continued to measure its gross ecosystem product (GEP), which rose steadily from CNY 204.513 billion in 2019 to CNY 208.966 billion in 2024, helping quantify ecological value that was once difficult to measure.
Initiatives such as carbon credit certificates, ecological product certification, and the Tropical Rainforest National Park Tourist Highway, which loops through the rainforest, are creating new development opportunities for local communities through green industries. These efforts allow forests to generate economic benefits while remaining protected.
The park has also demonstrated that ecological conservation is not a barrier to community development. Over the past five years, Hainan has relocated 459 households, involving 1,975 residents, from the national park's core ecological conservation area.
Conservation programs and ecological compensation schemes have encouraged more local residents to help protect the rainforest. Today, more than 1,800 community members take part in conservation efforts, while 372 village collectives and 6,194 rural households have benefited from related compensation. These initiatives help local communities move beyond merely protecting the forest to sharing in the benefits of conservation.