Guangxi Zhuang county named 'Home of Chinese Yews'

A county in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Wednesday was named "Home of Chinese Yews" for protecting the largest number of the endangered wild plants.

Guanyang county was honored by the China Wild Plant Conservation Association in Beijing.

Under national protection measures, the Chinese yew, which has existed for two and a half million years, is an endangered plant.

Guanyang county, 159 km east of Nanning, the regional capital, has more than 120,000 Chinese yews, the largest number nationwide.

Yu Guilan, deputy governor of the county, said the local government has shifted its focus from an industrial economy to a green economy.

"Protection measures include a GPS labeling system on each plant, and setting up protection zones. By doing this, we can ensure the safety of each protected plant to prevent illegal logging and selling," Yu said.