Unlocking the economic potential of Fanjing Mountain's pristine environment requires the combined efforts of communities and government, local officials said.

"People here take great pride in their natural heritage and willingly step up to protect it," said Wan Qianyou, deputy director of Tongren's ecology and environment bureau.

In Jiangkou county, located in Tongren, Guizhou province, the home of Fanjing Mountain, innovative practices are demonstrating how economic growth and environmental protection can go hand in hand.

At the heart of this effort is the city's "ecological account", a green finance initiative designed to encourage residents to adopt sustainable lifestyles.

"Whenever people choose green transportation or eco-friendly production, they earn credits in their ecological accounts," said Wan. "These credits can be exchanged for loans or lower interest rates at local banks and financial institutions."

To track progress, a multidimensional evaluation system assesses how well enterprises and individuals perform in areas like ecological assets, operations, lifestyle and environmental charity work.

Launched first in Jiangkou county, the ecological account now has more than 170,000 participants citywide.

"This initiative represents a true fusion of environmental stewardship and financial incentives," Wan said.

Beyond financial tools, local villages are embracing under-forest planting to boost incomes while safeguarding forests. In Taiping township in Jiangkou county, villagers cultivate barrenwort under the trees, a valuable herb used in traditional Chinese medicine.

"As 92 percent of our township is covered by forest, with gentle slopes under 25 degrees, our natural conditions are perfect for growing barrenwort," said Yang Xuesong, head of the Taiping government.

Yang said that under-forest planting is gentle on the ecosystem, as it does not disturb the existing forest cover. Moreover, replacing flammable weeds with barrenwort helps reduce wildfire risks.

The harvested barrenwort is sold to large pharmaceutical companies. "Selling our crops used to be a major worry for villagers," said Yang. "But with major companies now part of our production and sales chain, the whole village is energized and hopeful."

This initiative has also provided work for many idle rural laborers. "The planting requires less physical strain than factory jobs. More than 2,000 residents, nearly 10 percent of our township's population, have joined in," Yang said.

As wild barrenwort becomes increasingly scarce, its market value continues to rise. Today, Taiping township boasts the nation's largest underforest barrenwort planting base, with over 267 hectares, he added.

Contact the writers at lishangyi@chinadaily.com.cn