Logging gives way to green enterprises

City in Northeast China returns to GDP growth as it changes strategy

When Yichun, a border city in Heilongjiang province, banned logging in 2013, it lost a strong economic engine. But it forged ahead with green growth, ecotourism and better use of the byproducts of its forests.

"We've changed our minds and are utilizing our natural resources," said Han Ku, the city's mayor. "Our green resources and beautiful nature - the forests, mountains and rivers - have become the drivers of sustainable growth."