CHENGDU, Feb. 17 (NBD) -- A national panda park will be built in the provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu, according to the pilot program for the national panda park system released by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and General Office of the State Council. 

The new policy is aimed at beefing up the preservation and protection of endangered species, innovating ecological protection management systems, and promoting China's biodiversity protection.

Designed with wild pandas' geographic distribution and life habits in mind, the national panda park covering the three provinces will consist of four reserves: Minshan, Qionglaishan-Daxiangling, Qinling, and Baishui River. 

Of them, Minshan and Qionglaishan-Daxiangling reserves, located in Sichuan province, will cover an area of 20,177 square kilometers, accounting for 74 percent of the total. 

In the national panda park, current isolated panda habitats will be connected to promote the gene exchange of isolated populations, and air corridors and underground tunnels will be constructed based on existing facilities to provide further convenience to pandas and other animals. 

On the basis of results of the pilot project, China will formalize the national panda park plan by 2020.

Email: lansuying@nbd.com.cn