Summer view of Brandon Park. This "paradise" in up state New York has 11.2 km of pristine rivers. [Provided to China Daily]

As soon as the Peach Garden Foundation acquired the park, all commercial development, such as logging, was closed down. Ma plans to set up a conservation study into the park's brook trout.

"It is the responsibility of a Chinese entrepreneur to engage in environmental protection around the world," Alibaba said in a statement. Apart from the newly founded Peach Garden Foundation, Ma also sits on the board of directors of The Nature Conservancy, a charitable environmental organization in the US.

About 3 percent of Alibaba's annual profit is used on public welfare and environmental protection policies.

But replicating his plans for Brandon Park in China might be more difficult. "Due to the difference between land ownership systems in the US and China, the land trust model－buying a piece of land for environmental protection only－is more difficult to do here," said Zhang Boju, director of the Beijing-based Friends of Nature, a leading nonprofit organization in conservation protection.

Still, there are similar pilot projects in Sichuan province, although progress has been slow. Hopefully, that will change in the future.

"Because of the effects of pollution on people's lives, more and more entrepreneurs are following Ma's lead in environmental protection," Zhang said.

Last year, Ma was ranked the Chinese mainland's leading philanthropist by Hurun Research Institute. He gave away 14.65 billion yuan ($2.36 billion) on charitable causes and environmental projects.

Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman of the Hurun Report, pointed out that it was an interesting move by Ma to invest in an overseas ecological venture.

"This is a very meaningful step by Jack Ma to invest in conservation in New York," he said. "It is a sign that Chinese entrepreneurs are now looking outside the country.

"This is just like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, great philanthropists and billionaires in the US. They make donations throughout the world, which in turn helped benefit the poor," he added.

Hoogewerf believes there is a growing trend among Chinese billionaires to invest in environmental projects, or other charitable ventures, across the globe.

"What is even more brilliant is that Ma has founded his own foundation－the Peach Garden Ecological Conservation Foundation－to protect the environment," he said.

"Ma is building an ecosystem, which will attract donations from other Chinese billionaires. This will help create change in the future. Ma is extremely passionate about conservation issues," Hoogewerf added.