Nature-based Solutions (NbS) represent a pivotal approach to address the dual crises of global biodiversity loss and climate change, emerging as a prominent research frontier within the ecological and environmental sciences. Protected areas stand out as a crucial mechanism for biodiversity conservation and climate change response. The judicious application of NbS within protected areas, adhering to NbS standards and methodologies, holds the potential to yield synergistic benefits across biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the advancement of sustainable development goals. China presently finds itself at a pivotal juncture in constructing its protected area system, with national parks taking center stage. Over recent years, the establishment, management, and associated research of national parks have gained considerable traction within China's endeavor to foster ecological civilization and enhance its natural beauty. Hence, we initially delineate the applicability of NbS to the theory and practice of national parks, leveraging the eight criteria outlined in the global NbS standard by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Subsequently, we scrutinize the advancements in both theory and practice concerning national parks in China, juxtaposing the eight NbS criteria with the practical imperatives in the establishment and management of China's national parks across four key dimensions: (1) the scientific construction of national parks (criteria 1, addressing social challenges; criteria 2, scaling considerations); (2) effective governance and management of national parks (criteria 5, fostering inclusive, transparent, and empowering governance processes; criteria 7, evidence-based adaptive management); (3) evaluating the efficacy of national park construction and management (criteria 3, enhancing biodiversity conservation and ecosystem integrity; criteria 6, achieving equitable trade-offs between primary objectives and secondary benefits); and (4) enhancing the sustainability of national parks (criteria 4, ensuring economic viability; criteria 8, mainstreaming within appropriate jurisdictions and enhancing sustainability). Finally, we propose relevant implications and prospects for the establishment, management, and associated research of national parks in China, with the aim to serve national parks as exemplars for addressing the significant crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, safeguarding and perpetuating the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Unlocking greater natural potential and harnessing increased natural power should constitute the fundamental concept in the domains of national park construction, management, and associated research. It is our aspiration that this paper serves as a guiding resource for the development of the national parks discipline in China and fosters the seamless integration of NbS into national park construction and management endeavors.