Rare cliff cypress given new lease on life

Efforts are also being made to enable the cliff cypress to adapt to a broader range of environments. Trials for ex situ conservation and adaptive cultivation are underway in several parts of the country, Yang said.

Beyond environmental preservation, the local strategy actively drives regional development. At a municipal news conference on July 30, local official Li Chuanguo detailed how the area is leveraging the tree's unique properties, starting with the commercial development of over 10 deep-processed products like shampoos, face masks and essential oils derived from cultivated stock. To protect these innovations, officials have registered more than 100 related trademarks. On the economic front, local leaders are experimenting with forestry carbon credit trading to convert ongoing conservation efforts into direct revenue.

Meanwhile, Li said public engagement is growing via the newly opened Germplasm Resources Science Center, which invites both tourists and students to explore species protection firsthand.

This approach of balancing strict ecosystem preservation with sustainable local commerce earned international accolades in November last year at the Global Forum on Human Settlements in Geneva, where Kaizhou received the Global Model of Ecological Restoration and Protection award.

What began as a rescue mission for a dying relic has become a blueprint for how modern conservation can sustain both nature and local communities.

Contact the writers at dengrui@chinadaily.com.cn