HAIKOU, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The island province of Hainan in south China has planned to build a tropical rainforest national park to better protect local ecology, the provincial governor said.

Shen Xiaoming said in the annual government work report that Hainan will strengthen ecological protection and institutional innovation through the construction of the park.

According to the provincial development and reform commission, preliminary work on the park has begun since August, and eight cities and counties are involved in relocation of local residents, registration of natural resources, and comprehensive environment assessment.

The island accounts for about one third of the country's tropical forest, and is home to multiple rare or endangered species.