A taste of forest and healthy lifestyle in Shennongjia forest

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02:24

Bottled water and canned fresh air are the two products that central China's Shennongjia forest is promoting. The area wanted to develop a path to taking its natural advantage.

The underground water at Shennongjia is rich in strontium, an element good for human bones. It is a natural source for a local bottling company.

"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," said Fan Tuan, director of a Shennongjia bottled water factory.

The strict water collection plan had not been profitable for the company so far. Fan said 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, another factory employee, was born and raised in Shennongjia. Zhang said she witnessed how the water quality has improved in the area.

Zhang Jin checks the quality of bottled water products. /CGTN Photo

“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 said.

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

Besides bottled water, canned air was another popular product. Bottles filled with fresh air collected on high mountains were sold in some polluted cities.

A few decades ago, excessive timber logging damaged the environment. Local government then relocated mountain-area residents to Songbai town, a place which used to be farmland.

Songbai Town in central China's Hubei Province. /CGTN Photo

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

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.