March 12 marks the 47th Tree Planting Day in China.
In recent years, Guangdong has been actively advancing ecological construction under the "Green and Beautiful Guangdong" initiative. To date, the province has renovated 242,400 mu (about 39,932 acres) of pine forests and 179,400 mu (about 29,553 acres) of eucalyptus forests, restored 38,400 mu (about 6,325 acres) of mines, and rehabilitated 12,700 mu (about 2,092 acres) of mangroves.
Additionally, Guangdong has planted 81.59 million trees, including species such as red horse chestnut, Schima superba, Michelia macclurei Dandy, and Phoebe bournei, and has established 208 large forest patches, each covering over 1,000 mu (about 165 acres). The province has also optimized and improved 2.1591 million mu (about 355,683 acres) of forest stands.
In terms of residential greening, Guangdong has planted 23.37 million trees across counties, towns, and villages, and embarked on the construction of 57 mountain and countryside parks.
A first-class ancient tree in Shangtang Village, Shitan Town, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, is 548 years old.
Guangdong has enhanced the landscaping quality along over 8,000 kilometers of key highways, built 930.3 kilometers of new eco-friendly waterfront corridors, added 22,800 mu (about 3,756 acres) of green waterfront areas, and planted 876,000 trees along riverbanks.
The benefits of these green development programs are increasingly evident. In 2024, Guangdong's forestry industry generated a total output value of 930 billion yuan. The province has also expanded tea-oil camellia plantations by 258,800 mu (about 42,634 acres) and improved 74,100 mu (about 12,207 acres) of low-yield plantations, contributing to an annual economic forest product output of nearly 12 million tons. The forest economy now covers over 34 million mu (about 5.6 million acres), fostering the development of high-quality forestry brands.
The tea-oil camellia plantations in Heyuan stretch far and wide, crisscrossing.
Author | Zhong Haiqiong
Photo | Southern Rural News
Editor | Ouyang Yan, Huang Qini, James, Shen He
