The Zhangjiajie Reserve, which is now part of UNESCO's world heritage list, has issued a ban on logging.

The scenic reserve covering about 400,000 hectares in western Hunan Province in central China has 97 percent of forest in its major tourist spots.

The Reserve became China's first national park in 1982. Two million tourists pass through the park each year. Logging had been formerly allowed in limited areas.

The logging ban will help increase the overall greenery of the Reserve from 63.7 percent to 67 percent. Zhangjiajie hosted the 1999 China Eco-Tour International Forest Protection Festival on September 20-27 to increase public awareness of forest protection.