Four counties designated as national ecological civilization demonstration zones

Badagong Mountain in Sangzhi County 
Photo by the correspondent

The Hunan Department of Ecology and Environment announced on November 29 that, Suining, Sangzhi, and Anhua counties, and Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County were shortlisted for the 6th batch of the national ecological civilization construction demonstration zones; and, Changsha County, Jingzhou Miao and Dong Autonomous County, and Yongzhou Jindong Management District were included in the 6th batch of the national practice and innovation base for the "Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets" development philosophy.

The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment launched the campaign of constructing ecological civilization demonstration zones in 2017. Since then, Hunan has been authorized for the building of 21 national ecological civilization demonstration zones and 7 practice and innovation bases for "Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets" development philosophy, ranking 9th nationwide in terms of the total number.

Among the four newly-authorized zones, Suining County gives priority to developing bamboo industry and building itself into a "land of bamboo industry"; Sangzhi County, a key area of global significance in biological diversity, has developed a modern ecological industrial system; Anhua County, known as a "hometown of dark tea" and "land of Huangjing (polygonatum cyrtonema hua)", develops tea-related tourism, cultural, and health industry; and, Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County combines its featured agriculture and distinctive culture of Dong people to transform ecological value into economic and social value.

Among the new practice and innovation bases, Changsha County develops industrial parks based on intensive land use while protecting the ecological space; Jingzhou Miao and Dong Autonomous County explores a forest-based ecological economy mode; Jindong Management District, an implementer of the documents of the UN Forum on Forests, provides a Jindong solution to achieving the global forest goal through cultivating ecological barriers.

The nanmu forest in Jindong Management District 
Photo by the correspondent