Sound mountain ecology contributes to prosperity in China's Fujian

Jiangjun Mountain, located in Shaxian district, Sanming city, southeast China's Fujian province, has been particularly bustling these days.

Wei Fasong, a forest farmer in Jiai village, Shaxian district, makes his way to the mountain every week to check on the growth of Chinese herbal medicine such as Dioscorea nipponica and Siberia landpick that he has planted under the trees for nearly three years, anticipating the upcoming harvest.

A farmer plants herbs under the trees in Shaxian district, Sanming city, southeast China's Fujian province. (Photo/Luo Wenjin)

"We can now make a fortune without cutting down trees. The average annual income per mu (about 667 square meters) can reach at least 1,000 yuan ($140)," said Wei.

Bao Xingkun, head of a state-owned forest farm in Shaxian district, is also a frequenter to the mountain. His farm has set up a demonstration forest featuring stereoscopic planting on the mountain. During the journey up the mountain, visitors can come across precious broad-leaved trees such as Phoebe bournei and Ormosia hosiei, and higher up, they will be greeted by a lush plantation of artificial Chinese fir trees reaching 10 meters in height.

"We plant herbs at the foot of the mountain, trees at the top, and intercrop valuable tree species in between. Through this science-based stereoscopic planting approach, our trees grow better. We can greatly improve the utilization of the forest space, and our income per mu is ten times more than that of simple tree planting," Bao explained.

On the mountain, Zhang Min, general manager of a travel agency, was leading tourists on a tour. Zhang's company has leveraged the sound local natural environment to set up a rehabilitation resort on the mountain.

Photo shows an exhibition cabinet of under-forestry economy products in Shaxian district, Sanming city, southeast China's Fujian province. (Photo from the official WeChat account of the Fujian Provincial Forestry Bureau)

"Throughout this summer vacation, the resort has been fully booked every week. Guests stay in forest cabins and enjoy healthy cuisine. They appreciate the sound ecological environment here," said Zhang.

The effective ecological management of Jiangjun Mountain well exemplifies Fujian's commitment to maximizing the value of forestry ecological products in recent years.

In 2023, the forest coverage in Fujian accounted for 65.12 percent of the province's total area. However, in the past, the majority of local forest farmers lived in poverty, and the province was plagued with issues such as rampant and illegal logging. In 2002, Fujian took the lead in China to implement a collective forest tenure reform, shifting from cutting trees to growing them, making barren mountains green and thriving again. Moreover, a variety of ecological products have been developed, turning green mountains into a source of wealth.

Thanks to these environmental protection efforts, local residents have a wider range of options for generating income. A broader variety of forestry ecological products has been introduced by local authorities, creating more ways to recognize the value of forest ecosystems.

For instance, the farming practices in Yanping district, Nanping city, have undergone a remarkable shift from disorderly to well-organized in recent years. Thanks to the exceptional forest ecology, Yanping district has experienced a boom in green industries specializing in milk, flowers, and bamboo. In 2023, the lily cultivation area in the district expanded to 8,500 mu, with an output value of 600 million yuan. Meanwhile, the annual output value of the dairy industry hit 2 billion yuan.

Workers make bamboo tableware to be exported in a workshop of a company in Wuyishan, southeast China's Fujian province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Wangwang)

Besides, Nanping has set up a service platform to promote innovation in green industries, which has proved to be effective in helping companies overcome technological challenges and maximize ecological benefits.

For example, Xingda Bamboo Industry Co., Ltd., located in Shaowu, Nanping city, had long struggled with the perishability of bamboo building materials. After posting its needs on the platform, the company soon connected with experts at Wuyi University and Nanjing Forestry University who specialize in relevant technologies.

"After more than two months of trials, we made great progress," said Wu Minda, head of the company. "Once the new technology is applied to production, our output value is expected to increase tenfold."

There are also breakthroughs outside the woods. For instance, a unique carbon voucher is highly valued by Changkou village, Gaotang township, Jiangle county, Sanming city. In 2022, Changkou village used this carbon voucher to trade the carbon reduction obtained from its 3,197 mu of ecological public welfare forest over a five-year period. Each of the over 1,000 villagers received 150 yuan from this exchange. "We can even make money by selling air!" said villager Sun Guiying.

"In recent years, based on the strictest ecological protection policies, Fujian has developed green forestry industries, diversified forestry products, and increased their added value. In 2023, we achieved a total forestry output value of 765.1 billion yuan," said Lin Xudong, deputy head of the Fujian Provincial Forestry Bureau.