Forests fuel economic growth in Guangchang, E China's Jiangxi

A villager picks ripe wood ear mushrooms at Xujiang Forest Farm in Guangchang county, Fuzhou city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yu)

Guangchang county in Fuzhou, east China's Jiangxi Province, where forests cover 72 percent of the land, has built 45 demonstration sites for its "underforest economy," which involves cultivating crops and other products beneath forest canopies, benefiting 11 townships and reclamation farms.

Centered on Xujiang Forest Farm, these demonstration sites generate an annual output value of 1.9 billion yuan ($264 million).

The county has planted more than 200,000 mu (about 13,333 hectares) of understory crops, including Chinese medicinal herbs, edible mushrooms and oil-tea camellia.

Recently, local villagers have been harvesting wood ear mushrooms, which are processed, packaged and then sold on the market.

"This is a new variety we introduced this year. It tastes good, is rich in nutrients, and is very popular in the market," said a villager picking ripe wood ear mushrooms at Xujiang Forest Farm.

A villager picks ripe wood ear mushrooms at Xujiang Forest Farm in Guangchang county, Fuzhou city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yu)

An executive at Xujiang Forest Farm picks Taiwanofungus camphoratus, a valuable Chinese medicinal plant, at a farm in Guangchang county, Fuzhou, east China's Jiangxi Province. The products will be exported overseas. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yu)

Photo shows mushroom sticks hanging among the trees at Xujiang Forest Farm, located in Guangchang county, Fuzhou city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yu)

Photo shows a species of Chinese medicinal herb grown at Xujiang Forest Farm in Guangchang county, Fuzhou city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yu)

Photo shows ripe wood ear mushrooms at Xujiang Forest Farm in Guangchang county, Fuzhou city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yu)

Photo shows sprinkling irrigation devices installed for understory crops at Xujiang Forest Farm in Guangchang county, Fuzhou city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yu)