He Lianghui, mayor of Lijiang city, said that the output value of the city’s eco-industries would exceed 100 billion yuan ($ 16.32 billion) by 2020. He made the comments on July 31 at a press conference with the theme “Beautiful Yunnan” in Kunming, Yunnan province.

The mayor also said that Lijiang is “vigorously developing” its eco-industries, including walnuts, maca and Chinese herbal medicines, taking advantage of its climate and biological diversity.

He added that the output value of spirulina, olives, maca, prinsepia utilis Royle (a plant used as food or in medicines), Chinese herbal medicine and fruit, will reach 10 billion yuan ($ 1.63 billion) by 2020. In addition, the output value of the planting and intensive processing of walnuts is expected to reach 50 billion yuan ($ 8.16 billion).

Lijiang is located in the southeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, northwestern of Yunnan province. Its highest elevation point reaches 5,569 meters, and the lowest point reaches 1,051 meters. The city’s unique geographic environment and huge difference in elevation mean that it boasts favorable natural conditions for the development of its eco-industries, and a series of development plans have been created in recent years for these eco-industries.

Last year, the city’s eco-industrial bases covered an area of 3,948,100 mu (263,200 hectares), with an output value of 2.75 billion yuan ($ 448.8 million).

He said that Lijiang would combine ecological construction with industrial construction, making good use of its resources and climate to promote the development of eco-industries.

Edited by Niva Whyman