Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Overcoming Barriers to Nature Conservation in China’s Protected Area Network: From Forest Tourism to National Parks

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Nature-Based Tourism in Asia’s Mountainous Protected Areas

Part of the book series: Geographies of Tourism and Global Change ((GTGC))

  • 403 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter explores the status quo of China’s Protected Areas (PA) network and the challenges faced in an era of rapid increases in tourism. PAs encapsulate the sustainable tourism debate not least due to their rapid recent increase. China’s 3,392 Forest Parks are designated in theory for their significant landscapes and ecology, but in reality forest tourism tends to prioritize regional development over conservation. With 30% of all domestic trips derived from visits to national forest parks, escalating visitor numbers have imposed great pressure on the natural resource base, although significant economic benefits have ensued. To tackle the challenge of resource management, China’s central government initiated a new integrated system of national parks in 2015, aiming to reinforce conservation in these forest parks. As one of the ten pilot sites selected for the new policy, Pudacuo National Park has introduced a wide range of sustainability initiatives while Huangshan (the Yellow mountains) offers an alternative paradigm for scenic areas by adopting a seasonal pricing strategy and visitor limits based on carrying capacity rationale. Having discussed these two case studies, and tourism development issues during the transition from the Forest Park system to the National Park network, this chapter highlights the barriers that impede nature conservation in Chinese park management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Buckley, R., Cater, C., Zhong, L., & Chen, T. (2008). Shengtai Luyou: Cross-cultural comparison in ecotourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 35(1), 945–968.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buckley, R., Zhong, L., & Ma, X. (2017). Visitors to protected areas in China. Biological Conservation, 209, 83–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, B., Qi, X., & Qiu, Z. (2018). Recreational use of urban forest parks: A case study in Fuzhou National Forest Park China. Journal of Forest Research, 23(3), 183–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Z., Fu, W., Konijnendijk, C., Pan, H., Huang, S., Zhu, Z., Qiao, Y., Wang, N., & Dong, J. (2019). National forest parks in China: Origin, evolution, and sustainable development. Forests, 10(4), 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10040323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • China Forestry Yearbook 1989–1986, 1987–2005. China Forestry Press. Beijing (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • China. The State Forestry Administration. (1994). Forest park management regulation. http://www.forestry.gov.cn/ (in Chinese).

  • Deng, J., Bauer, T., & Huang, Y. (2003). Ecotourism, protected areas, and globalization: Issues and prospects in China. ASEAN Journal on Hospitality and Tourism, 2(1), 17–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong, Z. (2002). Forest tourism in China. Petroleum Industry Press (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Duan, W., & Wen, Y. (2017). Impacts of protected areas on local livelihoods: Evidence of giant panda biosphere reserves in Sichuan Province, China. Land Use Policy, 68, 168–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Font, X., & Tribe, J. (1999). Forest tourism and forest recreation. CABI Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gong, H. & Ye, W. (2017). Theoretical explore and practice of ecotourism in Pudacuo National Park. In Ye, W., Zhang, Y., & Li, H. (Eds.), China’s Ecotourism Development Report (pp. 435–442) (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulez, S. (1992). A method of evaluating areas for national park status. Environmental Management, 16(6), 811–818.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han, Z., & Zhuge, R. (2001). Ecotourism in China’s nature reserves: Opportunities and challenges. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 9(3), 228–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, J., Zhang, P., & Mei, Y. (2004). On sustainable development of forest tourism in China. Journal of Zhejiang Forestry College, 21(2), 194–197 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, Y., & Zhang, Q. (1998). Discussion on the theoretical problems of forest parks-also relationship among nature reserves, scenery spots and famous sites, and forest parks. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 20(3), 49–57 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, S., Lan, S., Lian, Q., Fu, Y., & You, Y. (2002). Investigation and analysis about tourist preference of national forest park in Fuzhou area. Problems of Forestry Economics, 22(5), 308–311 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Y., Deng, J., Li, J., & Zhong, Y. (2008). Visitors’ attitudes towards China’s national forest park policy, roles and functions, and appropriate use. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16(1), 63–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huangshan Municipal Government – HMG. (2006). Overall Planning of Huangshan Scenic Spot 2007–2025. Statistics Bureau of Huangshan, Huangshan Statistics Yearbook 2005. p. 338 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Huangshan Tourism Development (HTD) Co., Ltd. (2016). Annual report 2015. http://app.finance.ifeng.com/data/stock/ggzw.php?id=15639337&symbol=600054.

  • Li, C., & Shou, P. (2003). The restart of the construction of Zhangjiajie sightseeing lift encounters the embarrassment of “up or down.” People. http://www.people.com.cn/GB/huanbao/1074/2029784.html.

  • Li, J., Wang, W., Axmacher, J. C., Zhang, Y., & Zhu, Y. (2016). Streamling China’s protected areas. Science, 351(6278), 1160. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.351.6278.1160-a.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, M., Wu, B., & Cai, L. (2008). Tourism development of World Heritage sties in China: A geographic perspective. Tourism Management, 29, 308–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, S. (1994). Evaluation of present situation and trend prediction of China’s forest parks. Journal of Central South Forestry University, 14(2), 163–167 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, S., & Chen, X. (2007). Study on the developing of track of China’s forest parks and forest tourism. Tourism Tribune, 22(5), 66–72 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, W. (2004). Environmental management indicators for ecotourism in China’s nature reserves: A case study in Tianmushan Nature Reserve. Tourism Management, 25, 559–564.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Y. (2010). Forestry Bureau: Forest tourism injects vitality and vitality into modern forestry construction. Retrieved on June 19, 2020 from http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2010-05/27/content_1615118.html.

  • Liu, Y., & Tao, Y. (2003). The analysis of the development obstacles for Chinese forest tourism. Problems of Forestry Economics, 23(1), 49–52 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Y., Wu, S., & Li, M. (2008). Econometrics study on forest travel consumption behaviour of Chinese citizen: An example of citizen of Xi’an. Journal of Arid Land Resources and Environment, 22(11), 145–149 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma, X., & Lin, M. (2007). Forest tourism in Guangdong. Tropical Geography, 26(3), 285–289 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma, X., Ryan, C., & Bao, J. (2009). Chinese national parks: Differences, resource use and tourism product portfolios. Tourism Management, 30, 21–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller-Rushing, A. J., Primack, R. B., Ma, K., & Zhou, Z. (2017). A Chinese approach to protected areas: A case study comparison with the United States. Biological Conservation, 210, 1010–1112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Forestry and Grassland Administration. (2019). Forest Resources in China. http://www.china-ceecforestry.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Forest-Resources-in-China%E2%80%94%E2%80%94The-9th-National-Forest-Inventory.pdf.

  • Olwig, K. (2002). Landscape, nature, and the body politics: From Britain’s renaissance to Amercia’s new world. University of the Wisconsin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi, Q. (2005). Environmental impact assessments of forest parks. China Science Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, S. (1992). Tourism Development of Huangshan Scenic Area, Letter published in WHC (UNESCO World Heritage Commission) (2017). Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, China. http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/cn.

  • Sofield, T., & Li, F. (1998). Tourism development and cultural policies in China. Annals of Tourism Research, 25, 362–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su, D., Wall, G., & Eagles, P. F. J. (2007). Emerging governance approaches for tourism in the protected areas in China. Environmental Management, 39, 749–759.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian, Y. (2004). The death of a large number of living fossils due to the over utilization of tourism in Henan. http://www.people.com.cn/GB/14838/14839/22019/3035061.html (in Chinese).

  • UNEP-WCMC, & IUCN. (2020). Protected planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Retrieved August 01, 2020 from www.protectedplanet.net.

  • Wang, G., Innes, J., Wu, S., Krzyzanowski, J., Yin, Y., Dai, S., & Liu, S. (2012). National park development in china: Conservation or commercialization? Ambio, 41(3), 247–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, J. Z. (2019). National parks in China: Parks for people or for the nation? Land Use Policy, 81, 825–833.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, L., Chen, A., & Gao, Z. (2011). An exploration into a diversified world of national park systems: China’s prospects within a global context. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 21(5), 882–896.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, X., & Wang, J. (1998). Forest park and ecotourism. Tourism Tribune, 2, 58–62 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, X. (1991). Review report on the course of protected areas in China. Document prepared for the Palaearctic Asia Regional Review, presented at the Congress on World Parks and Protected Areas at Caracas, Veneduela, February 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, X. (1993). Significance and methods for developing ecotourism in protected areas. Journal of Plant Resources and Environment, 2, 49–54 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y. (2016). National parks, system overhaul/new system, new mentality/finding peace, China Report, 20–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weaver, D., & Lawton, L. (2007). Twenty years on: The state of contemporary ecotourism research. Tourism Management, 28, 1168–1179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei, Z., Li, J., & Wang, Z. (2006). The summary of the forest tourism development in China. Problems of Forestry Economics, 26(2), 142–145 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wen, H., & Dai, M. (2004). On the historical and cultural characteristics of forest tourism in China. Qiu Suo, 12, 159–161 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • World Heritage Center (WHC). (2017). World Heritage List. Retrieved on June 16, 2020 from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/?search=&type=mixed&order=country.

  • Wu, C., & Wu, Z. (1998). Developing prospect of forest recreation in China. Journal of Central South Forestry University, 18(3), 96–100 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, J., Hu, Y., Liu, T., & He, Q. (2018). Value capture in protected areas from the perspective of common-pool resource governance: A case study of Jiuzhai Valley National Park China. Land Use Policy, 79, 452–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, Z. (2003). Further exploitation of healthcare tourism resources in forestry recreation areas. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 25, 63–67 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu, H., Zhu, D., & Bao, J. (2016). Sustainability and nature based mass tourism: Lessons from China’s approach to the Huangshan Scenic Park. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 24(2), 182–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, W., Xiao, Y., Zhang, J., Yang, W., Zhang, L., Hull, V., Wang, Z., Zheng, H., Liu, J., Polasky, S., Jiang, L., Xiao, Y., Shi, X., Rao, E., Lu, F., Wang, X., Daily, G. C., & Ouyang, Z. (2017). Strengthening protected areas for biodiversity and ecosystem services in China. PNAS, 114(7), 1601–1606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan, C., & Morrison, A. (2008). The influence of visitors’ awareness of world heritage listings: A case study of Huangshan, Xidi and Hongcun in Southern Anhui, China. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 2(3), 184–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, M., & Zhou, G. (2005). Study on effective measures of environmental protection for sustainable development of tourism industry in the world natural heritage Wulingyuan. Ecological Economy of China, 1(2), 84–88 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu, H. (2001). A strategic study on the development of China’s forest tourism industry in the 21st century. Tourism Tribune, 16(5), 67–69 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu, K., & Jin, Y. (2007). A literature review of forest tourism theory research in home and abroad. Problems of Forestry Economics, 27(4), 380–384 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, H., & Zhao, Z. (2005). A survey of ecotourism market structure based on ehaviour and attitude: Case study of Taibai Mountain National Forest Park. Tourism Tribune, 20, 34–38 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhong, L., Buckley, R., Wardle, C., & Wang, L. (2015). Environmental and visitor management in a thousand protected areas in China. Biological Conservation, 181, 219–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2014.11.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong, L., Deng, J., & Xiang, B. (2008). Tourism development and the tourism area life-cycle model: A case study of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China. Tourism Management, 29, 841–856.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong, L., Wu, C., & Xiao, W. (1998). Aeroanion researches in evaluation of forest recreation resources. Chinese Journal of Ecology, 17(6), 56–60 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, D. Q., & Grumbine, R. E. (2011). National Parks in China: experiments with protecting nature and human livelihoods in Yunnan province, People’s Republic of China (PRC). Biological Conservation, 144, 1314–1321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, N., & Yu, K. (2004). The urbanization of national park and its countermeasures. Urban Planning Forum, 1, 57–61 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, Y. (2007). Discussion on the sustainable development of forest eco-tourism in Henan Province. Journal of Xinyang Normal University (Philos & Sci Edit), 27(6), 56–58 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zinda, J. A. (2012). Hazards of collaboration: Local state co-optation of a new protected-area model in Southwest China. Society & Natural Resources: An International Journal, 25(4), 384–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan

    Bixia Chen

  2. School of Tourism and Geographical Science, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China

    Yinping Ding & Yuanmei Jiao

  3. School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China

    Yi Xie

  4. College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), Beppu, Japan

    Thomas E. Jones

Authors
  1. Bixia Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yinping Ding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yuanmei Jiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yi Xie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Thomas E. Jones
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bixia Chen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Environment and Development Cluster, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Beppu, Japan

    Thomas E. Jones

  2. Tourism and Hospitality Cluster, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Beppu, Japan

    Huong T. Bui

  3. Department of Tourism and Regional Studies, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland

    Michal Apollo

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Chen, B., Ding, Y., Jiao, Y., Xie, Y., Jones, T.E. (2021). Overcoming Barriers to Nature Conservation in China’s Protected Area Network: From Forest Tourism to National Parks. In: Jones, T.E., Bui, H.T., Apollo, M. (eds) Nature-Based Tourism in Asia’s Mountainous Protected Areas. Geographies of Tourism and Global Change. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76833-1_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76833-1_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-76832-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-76833-1

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation