China’s Hainan safeguards rainforest ecosystem, preserves ethnic culture

HAIKOU, China, Dec. 2, 2025 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

Changjiang Li Autonomous County, situated in the heart of Hainan Island, recently hosted the 2025 “Rainforest and You” series of experiential activities. The event showcased the dynamic integration of the county’s tropical rainforest conservation achievements with its rich ethnic cultural heritage through a diverse program, including on-site rainforest performances, charity hikes led by Olympic champions, adventurous rock climbing and river trekking, and international symposiums.

 

The event attracted distinguished guests and experts from leading global organizations such as UNESCO, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the U.S. National Park Service, and the Hainan Institute of National Park, as participants engaged in in-depth discussions on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. The Chinese edition of the Global Resolution on Strengthening Gibbon Conservation through Collaborative Action was released, contributing valuable insights into global ecological protection and sustainable development efforts. Besides, three Chinese Olympic champions, acting as volunteer educators for the National Park, led over 1,000 volunteers on a 10-km hike, advocating ecological conservation through concrete action.

 

In addition, Changjiang County also launched a series of premium rainforest tourism routes centered on its four ecological landmarks: Mt. Bawang, Wangxia Town, Qizi Bay, and Haiwei National Wetland Park. These itineraries integrate natural landscapes with cultural villages, offering global travelers an immersive experience of the unique ecological and cultural features characterized by the convergence of mountains and sea.

 

As the world’s largest free trade port, Hainan boasts China’s most concentrated, most diverse, best preserved, and most extensive mainland island tropical rainforest.

 

In recent years, the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest has made significant progress in ecological restoration, green development, integrated education and conservation, and park-community synergy, effectively safeguarding the authenticity and integrity of this vital tropical rainforest ecosystem.

 

Most notably, the Hainan gibbon – classified by the IUCN as the “world’s most endangered primate species” – has seen a remarkable recovery. Its population has rebounded from the brink of extinction to seven groups totaling 42 individuals, representing the only continuously growing gibbon population worldwide.

 

Source: The Organizing Committee of the 2025 “Rainforest and You” series of experiential activities