Baoting Li and Miao autonomous county, a core area of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park blessed with clear waters, blue skies, tropical rainforests and natural hot springs, has made remarkable progress in rainforest protection, forest chief system advancement and ecotourism in recent years.

Guided by the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", and with an ecological priority embedded in its development framework, the county has evolved from an ecological guardian into a pioneer in green growth.

To safeguard its precious ecological heritage, nearly one-fifth of Baoting's land has been designated as a rainforest conservation area, supported by a comprehensive management network under the forest chief system.

Last year, forest chiefs at various levels conducted 2,549 patrols, managed pest control across over 1,640 hectares, and restored 105 hectares of vegetation. A 47-kilometer electronic fence has been installed, enabling the intelligent management of nearly 4,084 hectares of rainforest.

These efforts have curbed illegal hunting and forest fires while maintaining a stable forest coverage rate of around 77 percent, reinforcing the ecological barrier.

"Centering on the forest chief system, we have implemented concrete, targeted actions to steadily advance the development of the Tropical Rainforest National Park and the building of a national-level forest city," said Liang Zhenrong, deputy head of Baoting's forestry bureau.

"We are also deepening forest rights reform to strengthen the industry's foundation, exploring the sector's potential, optimizing its structure, and promoting the deep integration of forestry with tourism and other industries to efficiently convert ecological value into economic value," he said.

Baoting has shown equal commitment to preserving its "blue skies and white clouds". Data from January to September showed the county's ambient air quality remained generally excellent, with 98.9 percent of days rated as good or excellent. The average concentration of PM2.5 stood at 7.9 micrograms per cubic meter, and the average ozone concentration was 106 micrograms per cubic meter.

To further solidify its ecological foundation, Baoting has launched an integrated water treatment project, investing 840 million yuan ($117.9 million) in the ecological management of Chitian Reservoir, improving its water quality from Grade III to II. This initiative has been recognized by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment as a typical case for ecological protection compensation.

In a bid to turn ecological advantages into development opportunities, Baoting has explored the integration of the under-forest economy and ecotourism. Utilizing national ecological protection policies and the development of all-region tourism, it has planned a 1.6-km rainforest ecological boardwalk in the Huaxi Valley tourism project.

The boardwalk connects streams, waterfalls and rainforest landscapes, offering visitors a unique experience while boosting the under-forest economy with minimal impact on the ecosystem.

Drawing on its unique resources of rainforests, natural hot springs and Li and Miao ethnic culture, Baoting is developing differentiated tourism products. During this year's May Day, Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, the county rolled out tours with themes such as "rainforest autumn charm" and "cultural heritage exploration", linking core scenic spots and integrating rainforest adventures, intangible cultural heritage experiences and wellness activities.

Baoting's green development practices have also garnered international attention. On March 26, the United Nations Development Programme, in collaboration with Chinese partners, launched a green and digital innovation project in the county.

The project aims to establish a systematic mechanism covering public policies, standards, evaluation systems, guidelines, toolkits and legal frameworks to facilitate knowledge sharing among developing countries and marine and island regions.

"This cooperation takes Baoting as a practice base, focusing on green digital innovation, urban resilience development and climate-resilient sustainable models to promote the deep integration of Hainan Free Trade Port construction and zero-carbon island building," said Mu Kerui, Party secretary of Baoting.

Xie Zhenhua, former special envoy on climate change for China, said that developing the climate and health industry aligns with Hainan's strategic positioning.

He expressed hope that all parties will actively promote cooperation zones, drive the development of green industries centered on wellness and health, and bring climate and sustainable development innovation models and standards to a wider stage.

*本网站有关内容转载自合法授权网站，如果您认为转载内容侵犯了您的权益，
请您来信来电(024-23187042)声明，本网站将在收到信息核实后24小时内删除相关内容。