This is a list of the nationally designated protected areas of China. There are many forms of protected areas in China. Based on their relative importance, each type of protected area can be further graded into two to three levels (national, provincial and prefectural/county level). Nevertheless, the highest rank for "pocket nature preserve" (social and mass-based), "no-hunting area", "no-fishing area", "no-logging area", "wild medicinal material resources conservation area", "crop germplasm resources conservation area", "forest tree germplasm resources conservation area" or "source water protection area" is practically restricted to provincial level. The local government at county level is also responsible for the delimitation and declaration of "basic farmland protection area" and "basic grassland". Take note that many protected areas in China have multiple official designations, and the statutory boundaries of these multi-designated PAs may be identical or may vary one from the other. For instance, the boundaries of Huangshan NSHA coincide with those of the Huangshan NGP, whereas Fujian province's Wuyi Mountains NNR, NSHA and NFP are adjacent to each other. In Heilongjiang, 27,642.14 hectares out of 115,340.27 hectares of Huzhong NFP are intersected with the experiment zone of Huzhong NNR.

National Park Candidate Regions

National Culture Park System Pilot Program

National Nature Reserves of China

See: National Nature Reserves of China

National Scenic and Historic Areas of China

State Key Protected Fossils' Concentration Origins of China

National Typical Earthquake Sites of China

†: The official name is yet to be verified.

National Geoparks of China

†: From May 23, 2009, onwards, the approval process for awarding the NGP qualifications and naming the NGPs are treated separately by the State Forestry and Grassland Administration. Each NGP-prequalified unit is required to complete a site development within the three-year time limit before gaining formal status as a NGP.

National Mining Parks of China (disbanded)

Note: The former NMPs would either be incorporated into existing protected areas or redesignated as other categories of national-level nature parks. The work is still in progress.

National Ecoparks of China

National Forest Parks of China

National Wood (Flower) Parks of China

State Key Parks of China

National Urban Wetland Parks of China

National Wetland Parks of China

Note 1: Sites promoted to national-level on the basis of existing provincial wetland park since the implementation of revised Wetlands Conservation and Management Provisions on January 1, 2018. Note 2: One of the disqualified pilot sites is yet to be verified due to lack of supporting documentation.

National Water Parks of China

National Grassland Parks of China

National Desert (Rocky Desert) Parks of China

Note 1: The above-mentioned "desert" generally refers to "sandy desert", unless otherwise noted. Note 2: The above-mentioned "rocky desert" generally refers to "karst rocky desert", unless otherwise noted.

National Closed Sandified Land Protected Areas of China

National Special Marine Protected Areas (Marine Parks) of China

+1/+2/+3/+4/+5: one identical institution under two different names. +i: partially overlapped.

National Aquatic Germplasm Resources Conservation Areas of China

National Domestic Animal Genetic Resources Conservation Areas of China

National Culture Park System Pilot Program

National Nature Reserves of China

See: National Nature Reserves of China

National Scenic and Historic Areas of China

State Key Protected Fossils' Concentration Origins of China

National Typical Earthquake Sites of China

†: The official name is yet to be verified.

National Geoparks of China

†: From May 23, 2009, onwards, the approval process for awarding the NGP qualifications and naming the NGPs are treated separately by the State Forestry and Grassland Administration. Each NGP-prequalified unit is required to complete a site development within the three-year time limit before gaining formal status as a NGP.

National Mining Parks of China (disbanded)

Note: The former NMPs would either be incorporated into existing protected areas or redesignated as other categories of national-level nature parks. The work is still in progress.

National Ecoparks of China

National Forest Parks of China

National Wood (Flower) Parks of China

State Key Parks of China

National Urban Wetland Parks of China

National Wetland Parks of China

Note 1: Sites promoted to national-level on the basis of existing provincial wetland park since the implementation of revised Wetlands Conservation and Management Provisions on January 1, 2018. Note 2: One of the disqualified pilot sites is yet to be verified due to lack of supporting documentation.

National Water Parks of China

National Grassland Nature Parks of China

National Desert (Rocky Desert) Parks of China

Note 1: The above-mentioned "desert" generally refers to "sandy desert", unless otherwise noted. Note 2: The above-mentioned "rocky desert" generally refers to "karst rocky desert", unless otherwise noted.

National Closed Sandified Land Protected Areas of China

National Special Marine Protected Areas (Marine Parks) of China

+1/+2/+3/+4/+5: one identical institution under two different names. +i: partially overlapped.

National Aquatic Germplasm Resources Conservation Areas of China

National Domestic Animal Genetic Resources Conservation Areas of China