On October 25th, the third edition of the campaign titled “Building a Green Eco-Future Together” kicked off at Longhu Square in Wengyuan County, Shaoguan, Guangdong. Organized by the Guangdong Provincial Forestry Bureau, this event introduced the public to the top ten most beautiful public welfare forests (natural forests) in Guangdong.
Among the ten designated hotspots are: the ecological public welfare forest demonstration area in Wuqinzhang, Huizhou; the Qingliang Mountain ecological public welfare forest demonstration area in Meizhou; the Yunong Forest Farm ecological public welfare forest demonstration area in Foshan; the Huanghuashan ecological public welfare forest demonstration area in Nan’ao County, Shantou; the Beiling Mountain Forest Farm ecological public welfare forest demonstration area in Zhaoqing; the Wanshan Chaowang National Stone Desert Park in Qingyuan; the Xinfengjiang ecological public welfare forest demonstration area in Dongyuan County, Heyuan; the Dawangling State-owned Forest Farm ecological public welfare forest demonstration area in Maoming; the Nanshan Forest Park ecological public welfare forest demonstration area in Guangdong; and the Qinyun Mountain provincial nature reserve in Wengyuan.
These hotspots are characterized by their large contiguous areas of public welfare forests, diverse tree species, excellent stand quality, and rich biodiversity. They include public forest farms, nature reserves, forest parks, stone desert parks, and country parks. Residents are invited to make reservations for visiting and exploring these locations.
At the event, a special exhibition area was set up to showcase unique under-forest industries in Wengyuan. Ten exhibitors presented a variety of forest products including Ganoderma, tea oil, five-finger peach, bamboo fungus, and Matsutake mushrooms. Additionally, eight representatives known as “Model Guardians of Public Welfare Forests” from Wengyuan County received certificates of honor. Representatives from various public welfare forest demonstration areas in Meizhou, Heyuan, Maoming, and Shaoguan collectively issued the “Declaration for the Joint Construction of Guangdong’s Most Beautiful Public Welfare Forest Demonstration Area.”
Guangdong has been a pioneer in the construction of ecological public welfare forests. Since 1999, it has been the first province in China to implement a compensation system for ecological public welfare forests, establishing a precedent for compensated use of forest ecological benefits. Currently, Guangdong’s ecological public welfare forest system boasts an impressive 69.88 million acres, accounting for 44% of the province’s forest land.
The province has established a four-tiered ecological public welfare forest system at the national, provincial, city, and county levels. This structure forms an ecological public welfare forest spatial pattern, with reservoirs and protected areas acting as “points,” rivers, roads, and coastlines as “lines,” and the forested green spaces of the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration and the surrounding northern mountains as the “surface.” This intricate setup effectively maintains ecological security across Guangdong’s land territory.
Since 2021, Guangdong has promoted the establishment of 51 ecological public welfare forest demonstration areas, leading to a stable increase in forest resources and wildlife populations. These efforts have contributed to the ongoing improvement of the ecological environment, fostering the return of rare and endangered wildlife and plants.
