 |
|
Farmers pick tea leaves at a local plantation. Provided To China Daily |
Xie Nian, deputy director of the provincial government's communications department, said the province's well-preserved natural environment, abundant natural resources and good climate are strong advantages.
"Only by promoting ecology, by striving for a harmonious relationship between nature and economy, can we turn our 'green mountains' into 'golden mountains'," Xie said.
Guizhou has plentiful mineral resources though, years ago, unsustainable mining in the province caused geological damage and pollution.
In recent years, the city of Zunyi in the north of the province has suffered from severe acid rain. In 2006, the acid rain frequency reached a staggering 50.9 percent. A strong smell in the air and rain that eroded everything are what Zunyi residents remember from those days.
The city took a range of measures to combat the environmental issue. It moved mining companies that could cause heavy pollution to the outskirts of the city.
The city also required that those companies begin to treat their wastewater, residue and gas emissions. This January, Zunyi became the first environmental protection model city in Guizhou.
Liupanshui is known throughout China as "the city of coal". As it attempts to find a balance between the commercial exploitation of mineral resources and environmental protection, it is looking to technological innovations to improve the industrial added value of mining, said Fu Zhaoxiang, deputy mayor of Liupanshui.
The city is also looking for other ways to fuel its economy. The monthly average temperature of Liupanshui is 19.7 C, which brings with it another title of "China's cool city". During the summer, a range of domestic and international sports competitions are held in the city.
Tourism is also booming. In the city of Bijie, local azaleas are one of its main attractions. Revenue from the Azalea Scenic Area has already surpassed that from coal mining. Residents, benefiting from the tourism boom, have volunteered to protect the blossoms and the region's natural environment.
Fighting poverty
There are still many places in the province that are beautiful but impoverished. Some of those are mountainous areas that used to be blocked of from the outside world.
People living there, most of whom are ethnic minorities, still lead traditional lifestyles where harmony with nature is highly valued.
The Basha people, part of the Miao ethnic group, have maintained their tradition of "tree burying". Parents plant a small forest for their newly born child and choose the finest specimen as the child's life tree. When that individual dies, the villagers plant a tree where he or she is buried, demonstrating the continuity of life.
The traditions and stories of the Basha village, as well as its well-preserved natural environment, have made it a unique tourist area. The people are now wealthier, but none have abandoned their pristine lifestyle.
Besides tourism, another way to preserve the natural ecology while creating a better life for the local people is to relocate them.
In the Fanjing Mountain area of Guizhou's Tongren city, the local government began relocating its 2,767 residents in 2012 to preserve the forest and some 6,000 species of rare wild animals and plants.
Fu Guilin, deputy director of the Guizhou Reform and Development Commission, said that removing the rural poor from mountain areas should be the focus of the fight against poverty.
According to official data, the number of "migrants" moved for ecological reasons this year is expected to reach 150,000.
New technology and the future
The province is also working to develop new energy and the big data industry.
In the Yi ethnic township of Hezhang county, 56 wind power generators are replacing the consumption of 56,000 tons of coals every year.
Pan county in Liupanshui has abundant solar energy. This year, in a village in the county, 102 households were equipped with solar panels.
Summer temperatures in the capital city Guiyang in summer are not very high and it experiences almost no natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. Zhou Wenjie, an economist from the Guiyang Reform and Development Commission, said the natural advantages of Guiyang are very appealing to big data companies, who need storage space with steady low temperatures.
According to Xu Xiaofeng, deputy director of the China Meteorological Administration, a unique climate can also be a valuable natural resource and, if used fully, can be a new economic growth point.
The 2015 Eco Forum Global in Guiyang will open on June 27. Experts in ecology from China and abroad will gather to discuss environmental issues and green economy.
Guizhou, as the country's forerunner of natural environment preservation and development, is fully prepared to learn more from the event to explore the future ahead.
fuchao@chinadaily.com.cn
 |
|
Water cascades through a lush valley in Chishui, Guizhou province. Wang Chen / For China Daily |
