Balancing act

Wuyi Mountain and the newly established park have both come under great pressure from the economic activities of local people and government bodies as a result of traditional methods of using natural resources.

However, the Wuyi Mountain National Park holds to the philosophy that "clear waters and green mountains are as good as mountains of gold and silver".

As such, the management team has promised not to turn the park into a "no-man's land" or make it off-limits for human activity.

Instead, it has pledged to balance environmental protection and economic activity to ensure harmonious development.

According to the Fujian Bureau of Forestry, the park has employed a new management mode that will use 10 percent of the land for economic development, while 90 percent will feature environmental protection measures that will allow people to continue earning a living on the mountain's slopes.