As China celebrates its second National Ecology Day on 15th August, one of its most biodiverse locations is set to become a vital venue for ecotourism.

Located in the eastern part of China, Zhejiang Province is home to the renowned Qiantang River, known as the world’s largest tidal bore. Quianjiangyuan, the source of the mighty river, is likewise recognised as a biodiverse area characterised by stunning scenery and innovations in the fields of forest and wildlife conservation.

Leveraging digital technology to empower its conservation initiatives, the Qianjiangyuan National Park Administration recently unveiled a sophisticated intelligent governance system which has achieved remarkable success in the field of ecological protection.

A uniquely abundant biosphere

Quianjiangyuan is characterised by a vast area of globally rare, subtropical low-altitude evergreen broad-leaved forest vegetation. 

The area is home to over 2,200 species of higher plants, more than 440 species of large fungi, and over 2,400 animal species, including the black muntjac, which rivals the giant panda in terms of rarity.

As the administrative region of Qianjiangyuan National Park, Kaihua County in Quzhou City has made numerous innovative practices in addressing the relationship between conservation and development, achieving unified management of collective natural resource assets, and scientifically promoting biodiversity conservation.

The Qianjiangyuan National Park Administration has conducted collective forestland and rural land contracting rights reforms, establishing a scientific, reasonable mechanism for ecological compensation and community co-management.

This has achieved unified regulation of important natural resources within the national park, encouraging villagers to commit to not using pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals in agricultural fields. These efforts have laid a solid foundation for the effective protection of the Qianjiangyuan ecosystem.

Rising to the challenge of efficient and effective monitoring

Monitoring and managing such a vast forest area, covering approximately 252 square kilometers, may seem like a daunting task. However, in Zhejiang, where digital technology is highly developed, this task has become rather smart and efficient.

The Qianjiangyuan National Park Administration has leveraged digital technology to empower ecological conservation, introducing a smart governance system that encompasses unmanned aerial vehicle disaster prevention and inspection, wildlife recognition, and other perception systems and scenarios.

This system enables long-term and dynamic monitoring of the entire Qianjiangyuan area, important ecosystems, and critical species.