Forests in China covered 20.36 percent of its land territory as of the end of 2012, up from 16.55 percent in 1998, Zhao Shucong, head of the State Forestry Administration, said at a tree planting ceremony on Thursday marking the first International Day of Forests.

The 67th Session of the UN General Assembly passed a resolution in December declaring Mach 21 as International Day of Forests, in an effort to enhance the public’s understanding of the importance of forests and to improve the global movement of tree planting.

More than 500 people participated in the ceremony and planted 2,000 trees in a forest park in Tongzhou district.