China's Yichun grows a model green city

In a city in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province one city has been developing new green pillar industries to halt over-exploiting forests, said Gao Huan, mayor of Yichun in Beijing on Wednesday.

Since 1948, Yichun has provided a total of 270 million cubic meters of timber to the country, resulting in soil erosion, mudslides, frequent droughts, floods, disastrous winds and dust storms. This has had a disastrous effect on the environment with a decrease in a variety of species.

However, Yichun is among the first cities to realize cutting trees was not sustainable and stopped by January 2011.

Yichun has also turned to other areas for development.

The city has 9 AAAA level scenic spots and one AAAAA level scenic spots to develop high-end ecotourism.

"It's good to go to Yichun to enjoy flowers in spring, to avoid heat in summer, to go sightseeing in autumn, and to play with snow in winter," said the major.

In addition to tourism, the city will develop its food processing industry and traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing. .

Yichun will encourage companies to extract Pine polyphenols from pinecones, pine needles and bark which will be used to better the environment. Companies will also be encouraged to extract pine seed oil, rich in Melatonin and brain gold which are good for brain development.

The city already completes in the blueberry industry chain, including breeding, planting, processing and marketing.

Yichun will also upgrade its fungus industry from being household-based to factory-based. At the beginning of this year, three fungus processing companies were set up in the city.

Yichun is rich in traditional Chinese medicine resources, including ginseng, velvet and fungus grass, which are specific to this area. The city will prioritize development of this industry and make it a main source of fiscal revenue.

Yichun is a city that once prospered and then declined due to deforestation. Now, it will rise again to a city that transforms and rises due to forests, said Gao Huan. She said Yichun is a microcosm of China's forestry development and added that the Yichun phenomenon is worth study for all.