14 Yangzhou's villages win national honor

A total of 14 villages in Yangzhou have been listed as National Forest Villages recently, due to their work on rural revitalization.

Forest villages are ecologically livable villages with well-preserved natural ecological features, outstanding rural features, rich forest atmosphere, significant forest functional benefits, good development of forest-related industries, neat living environment, and effective protection and management.

The construction of national forest villages is expected to drive rural greening and beautification, and to promote the implementation of rural revitalization strategies and the improvement of living environments in the countryside.

The 14 villages are located in Baoying town, Yizheng city, Gaoyou city, Hanjiang district and the ecological science and technology new town.

Yangzhou has been working to beautify its living environment and develop its forest industry in rural areas for years, with the aim of promoting rural revitalization and attracting tourists.

For instance, the forest coverage rate of Changtang town in Ganquan subdistrict reached 45.3 percent in 2019, while its forest industry was valued at more than 30 million yuan ($4.2 million).