Qingyuan Forest Farm, located in Qingyuan county, Lishui, East China's Zhejiang province, has forged a new path to rural prosperity through its ecological assets.

Spanning over 5,390 hectares, the forest farm has created a multi-layered and multi-functional ecosystem. This includes a three-tiered management model — upper-layer Chinese fir for timber, middle-layer valuable tree species, and under-layer economic crops.

By converting low-efficiency forests and cultivating mixed forests, the forest farm has established a 22-hectare multi-functional forest landscape demonstration zone, enhancing both the benefits of timber and carbon sequestration.

Chinese herbs are planted under Chinese fir trees. [Photo/Tide News]

Qingyuan Forest Farm is regarded by locals as not just a green treasure, but also as an economic powerhouse. Last year, a partnership with rural professional cooperatives led to a 4.67-hectare cultivation demonstration base of Chinese fir and Rhizoma gastrodiae, commonly known as tianma — a well-known Chinese herb, yielding an average income of 750,000 yuan ($104,153) per hectare.

This year, a new demonstration area combining poultry breeding, edible mushroom cultivation, and Chinese herb planting is being developed to grow the mushroom industry and boost the incomes of local farmers.

Additionally, the forest farm has established a 200-hectare carbon credit base, facilitating Lishui's first carbon credit transaction in forest management, which generates 135,000 yuan from 2,700 metric tons of carbon credits.

Over 200 forest farmers have benefited from carbon credit dividends through a cooperative mechanism between the forest farm and local villages.