There are 58 nature reserves in Jilin province, including 24 at the national level, 21 (including the Songhua River Three-Lake Reserve) at the provincial level and 13 at the municipal and county levels. The total area of nature reserves is 2.74 million hectares, accounting for 14.33 percent of the provincial land area.After the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve, the first one in Jilin Province, was set up from scratch in 1960, the following half a century has watched the development of nature reserves in the province, which is from small to large, from single to comprehensive. Based on the ecoregional conditions and the overall eco-environmental characteristics of Jilin Province, a nature reserve system with proper echelon structure and complete categories has come into being. Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve is famous for its integrated forest ecosystem, biodiversity and germplasm gene bank. Tianchi Lake, waterfalls, hot springs, canyons, fantastic peaks, flowers and the altitudinal belt of vegetation, all contribute to its world-wide popularity. Beginning 2013, the International Forum on Changbai Mountain Ecology is held annually, which have attracted numerous experts and scholars home and abroad to make academic exchanges. Changbai Mountain has become a renowned tourist attraction and an important window for scientific, technological and cultural exchanges. Xianghai National Nature Reserve takes a vital place among wetlands across the world. Designated by the State Council, it was included in the International List of Important Wetlands in 1992, and was rated by the World Wildlife Fund as an “A-level Nature Reserve of International Significance” in the same year. In 1993 it was recruited in the "Biosphere Reserve Network", approved by the Chinese National Committee for Man and Biosphere Program. Hunchun National Nature Reserve is the first one of its type in China, which is designed mainly to provide protection for Siberian tigers, leopards and their habitats. Siberian tigers belong in international endangered species of the world and are enlisted as Class One Protected Species in China. Hunchun National Nature Reserve has the largest number of and the most densely distributed Siberian tigers and leopards.
There are 57 forest parks, including 35 national parks and 22 provincial parks. The total area of forest parks is 2.58 million hectares, accounting for 13.76% of the total land area of Jilin Province. Years of development of forest parks has produced initial results, creating representative high-quality festivals such as "China Changchun Jingyue Lake Vasaloppet International Skiing Festival", "Jilin Longwan Lake Azalea Tourism Festival", "Jilin Lafa Mountain Red Leaf Festival", and winning honors in a series of competitions organized by the State Forestry Administration. Lafa Mountain National Forest Park was named "the most influential Forest Park in China". Jingyue Park , Longwan Park, Wunufeng Park and Lushuihe National Forest Park entered the top 100 forest tourism scenic spots in 2013. Longwan Lake Group National Forest Park, as the only representative of China, was included in the IUCN Green List of the World's Best Management Protected Areas.
Nature reserves and forest parks in Jilin province have played and will continue to play an important role in protecting biodiversity, maintaining regional ecological balance, strengthening ecological security, promoting science education and implementing sustainable development strategy.