China's National Geoparks were originally established under the guidance of the former Ministry of Land and Resources and are now managed uniformly by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. They are national-level parks aimed at protecting geological heritage and promoting green development across the country, and they also serve as an important foundation and localized practice platform for UNESCO Global Geoparks in China.

The construction of China's National Geoparks officially began in 2000. It shares the same concept and direction as the Global Geopark Network, with the core purpose of protecting precious geological heritage, popularizing geoscience knowledge, and promoting regional sustainable development. It integrates the protection of Earth's heritage, ecological environment construction, and local economic and social development, gradually forming a national geological park system that is comprehensive, standardized, well-managed, and closely interconnected.

In 2004, eight Chinese National Geoparks jointly participated in the founding of the Global Geopark Network, and UNESCO established the Global Geoparks Network Office in China, highlighting China's significant role in the field of global geological heritage protection.

After the institutional reform in 2018, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration formally undertook responsibilities for the organization, supervision, and professional guidance of national geoparks. In 2024, the Administration issued the "Regulations on the Management of Global Geoparks", further improving the management system for Global Geoparks in China. Currently, the country is promoting exchanges and cooperation among various geological parks nationwide, mutual learning of experiences, joint development of standards, and resource sharing. A unified system for application review, planning and construction, supervision and management, and science popularization services has been established, providing a standardized path for geological heritage protection and a model for green development at the local level, effectively supporting rural revitalization, deep integration of culture and tourism, and ecological civilization construction.

As an important part of the Global Geopark Network, China's National Geoparks are not only the core platform for domestic geological heritage protection but also a key bridge for China's connection to global geological heritage protection efforts, providing rich practical experience and Chinese solutions for the development of the Global Geopark Network.

Image source: Mapped by the China National Geopark Network Center

Full text of the 'Management Measures for World Geoparks' by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration: Notice of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Issuing the 'Management Measures for World Geoparks'_Official website of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration