Back to the Wild

China’s Urbanization in Numbers

933million Chinese people live in694 cities

40 Years of Urbanization in China

1984： 23.01%

1994： 28.62%

2004： 41.8%

2014： 54.77%

2023： 66.2%

Disconnect with Nature

NDD， or “nature-deficit disorder，” can lead to：

Obesity

Attention deficits

Anxiety

Reduced creativity and social skills

16%

of Chinese children exhibit NDD tendencies

Urban Children’s Access to Nature

Visit urban parks

Go outside of the city and into nature

Read nature-themed books

Explore online resources

Attend nature classes at school

A Brief History of Zoos in China

Over 3，000 years ago

Rulers began keeping “gardens of animals” for leisure and hunting.

Tang dynasty（618 – 907）

Imperial gardens held exotic animals， such as elephants and ostriches from Africa， rhinoceros from India， and lions from Persia， brought in as tribute by envoys.

Song dynasty（960 – 1279）

Imperial gardens featuring animals were opened to the public for a limited time in the spring.

Ming dynasty（1368 – 1644）

Ming emperors kept the largest number of wild animals in Chinese history， wiDzzTr1KkMnasrCCeCD+01af/wA4q7ADj/jhaAtjQdqI=th venues like “tiger city，” “l(fā)eopard house，” and “deer field” dotting the capital city.

1906China’s first modern zoo， “Garden of Ten Thousand Animals，” was built by the Qing dynasty to educate the public after an imperial delegation returned from a trip to Europe， the US， and Japan. In 1955， it was renamed the Beijing Zoo， and remains a popular destination in the Chinese capital today.

1950s to 1980sMost public zoos across China were built during this time. They had limited space and rudimentary facilities.

1990s to 2010sAccompanying the real estate boom， many zoos relocated to the suburbs， giving rise to the idea of the “safari zoo.” For-profit private zoos and animal performances mushroomed.

2010s to NowThe total profit of the zoo industry exceeded 22 billion yuan in 2019， but took a hit during the pandemic. Animal abuse， safety scandals， and rising awareness of conservation led to backlash against traditional zoos. Nanjing’s Hongshan Forest Zoo made updates to become an animal-centered， educational zoo.

Sources： National Bureau of Statistics， The Sociological Review， Modern Express Post， Forestry Administration of Guangdong Province