Green industries blossom in small southern town

"Youran Valley" holiday resort is just one example developed in Sanfeng village. In 2015, local villagers were contracted to rent a reservoir and dozens of hectares of forest land to a resort developer for 43 years on the condition that villagers stop felling trees.

Now, the holiday resort has been completed and opened for business. Many locals have been hired as forest rangers and service staff. Besides the rental income, some villagers even earn a salary from the resort.

"I like my current job. I can earn more than before, and I no longer have to work far away from home and have time to take care of my children," said Ye Ting, a local of Sanfeng village, who was once a migrant worker but is now employed as a receptionist in the resort.

"In the near past, our villagers were used to felling trees for personal use or for sale. Little money was made and the damage to the environment was far greater. But now they can make a profit without cutting down trees," said Yang Xiaoting, an official from Sanfeng village.