Shennongjia National Park: Bringing fresh forest water and air to the cities

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A Chinese national park has launched some creative products aimed at the country's city dwellers: bottled water and canned fresh air. CGTN's Zhao Yunfei reports.

Mother Nature bestowed clean waters and clear skies on the Shennongjia Forest.

The underground water here is rich in strontium, an element good for human bones.

Water testers from a local bottling company are checking the quality of the spring.

FAN TUAN BOTTLED WATER COMPANY STAFF "The local government has set a high environmental protection standard. We cannot over exploit the water resources. Our goal is to collect more than 120,000 tons of water a year, that's about 4.8 percent of the entire system. And we will not exceed that amount."

So far, the strict water collection plan has not been profitable for the company.

Fan Tuan says the situation will change when they reach their maximum exploitation amount.

However, the production line of the water factory has brought job opportunities to the town.

Zhang Jin was born and raised in Shennongjia, she has witnessed how the water quality has improved in the area.

ZHANG JIN BOTTLED WATER COMPANY STAFF "When we were young, we liked to swim in the water and wash clothes by the river. But the hydropower stations overused the water sources, which has changed our lives. Now, many stations are shut down."

Zhang says to keep the reputation of Shennongjia's water quality, the community should raise awareness to protect the environment.

Besides bottled water, canned air is another popular product.

These bottles filled with fresh air collected on high mountains are sold in some polluted cities.

ZHOU JINTAO CANNED AIR COMPANY MANAGER "Put the mask over your mouth and nose, press the button and take a deep breath. Now you can smell the fragrance of soil."

A few decades ago, excessive timber cutting damaged the environment.

Local government then relocated mountain-area residents down here to Songbai town, a place which used to be farmland.

Can they survive without farming?

Some believe the natural resources are still the key to making a living, but they should be used wisely.

ZHAO YUNFEI SONGBAI TOWN, HUBEI PROVINCE "From large scale deforestation back in the 1980s to today's scientific exploitation, people in the Shennongjia area learned from the lessons of the past that green development is the prerequisite for economic growth. Zhao Yunfei, CGTN, in the Shennongjia area, China."