China's national parks: Natural, scenic and wild

A view of the Pudacuo National Park in Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, May 20, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

Location: Southwest China's Yunnan province

Total area: 1,313 square kilometers

Pudacuo, or Potatso, National Park is located in the province's Shangri-La county. The region of this park contains more than 20 percent of China's plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species, though it comprises only 0.7 percent of the country's land area.

It is notably home to vulnerable Black-necked cranes, many rare and beautiful orchids, and Himalayan Yew, a coniferous tree whose extracts are a source of the anticancer drug, paclitaxel.