Guizhou now home to 78 forest health care pilot bases

According to the provincial forestry department, Southwest China's Guizhou province has a strong forest-related health care industry, according to a July 8 press conference for the upcoming 2021 Eco Forum Global Guiyang, which will be held in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, on July 12-13.

Guizhou is known as a "province of parks" for its beautiful natural environment. It has four World Natural Heritage sites and many scenic spots, such as Huangguoshu Waterfall, Baili Azalea Nature Reserve, and Xijiang One-thousand-household Miao Village, making it an ideal place to develop a recreation industry.

Guizhou has an annual average temperature of 15 C and good or excellent air quality on more than 95 percent of days, and its negative oxygen concentration exceeds the national average.

Guizhou's forest coverage rate is 61.51 percent, with 162 million mu (10.8 million hectares) of forest. It has 71 famous scenic areas, 12 geological parks, 53 wetland parks, 93 forest parks, and 105 State-owned forest farms.

Guizhou has discovered 10,255 varieties of higher plants and 7,317 varieties of medicinal plants, and is one China's four main production areas for traditional Chinese medicine.

A total of 17 ethnic groups have been living in Guizhou for generations, creating a unique cultural environment with many World Culture Heritage sites, national intangible cultural heritage items, traditional Chinese villages, ethnic villages, and national eco-culture villages.

Guizhou has provided policy support, project support, financial support, and technological support for the development of its forest-related health care industry.

By the end of 2020, Guizhou had 78 pilot forest health care bases, including five national ones and 58 provincial ones. These bases offer rehabilitation through forest scenery, hot springs, traditional Chinese medicine, dietary therapy, culture, and sports.

Guizhou hopes to learn about the latest development experience of the forest-related health care industry through this year's Eco Forum Global and promote Guizhou's abundant forest resources to the world.