An aerial view shows the Qingshan Lake National Forest Park in Lin'an district, Hangzhou. [Photo/IC]

East China's Zhejiang continues to transform its ecological assets into engines of sustainable growth, nearly two decades after the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" was introduced in the province in 2005.

Over the past 20 years, the province has pursued a coordinated approach to landscape management, integrating forests, wetlands, rivers, and grasslands into a unified ecological governance system. More than 733,000 hectares of new forest have been planted, pushing Zhejiang's forest coverage rate to among the highest in the country.

As the first province in China to establish a five-tier forest chief system, Zhejiang has institutionalized forest management across five levels — provincial, municipal, county, township, and village — to strengthen the protection of its forest resources.

More than 8 million participants across the province participate in voluntary tree planting each year, contributing to green expansion. Meanwhile, all 275,000 of Zhejiang's ancient and precious trees are now under digital management, each assigned a serial number. A total of 177 provincial-level cultural parks have been built to preserve this living heritage.

In 2024, the province's forestry industry exceeded 660 billion yuan in total output. In 58 key counties, forestry became a major source of income for rural communities. In Anji county, Huzhou, home to 58,000 hectares of bamboo forests, bamboo fiber tableware has become a signature export, generating over $500 million in annual overseas sales.

Wetland protection — often referred to as safeguarding the "kidneys of the Earth" — has also advanced steadily. Zhejiang has built a comprehensive wetland restoration network and was the first in the country to implement provincial-level compensation for ecologically important wetlands.

The province is now home to two internationally significant wetlands and three nationally recognized wetlands. This year, Hangzhou and Wenzhou were both added to the list of International Wetland Cities, a designation overseen by the Convention on Wetlands.