China on the move: Guardian of the forest

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Forests are considered of great significance for protecting the environment and reducing climate change. In Yichun, a forest city in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, excessive deforestation has caused a substantial reduction of forest resources. But thanks to government measures in recent years, the forests and environment in Yichun are gradually recovering.

These are the Xiao Xing'an Mountains in the northeastern part of Heilongjiang province, the best-preserved forest in China. It is considered a green eco-shelter for China and the entire northeast Asia.

Located at the heart of the Xiao Xing'an Mountains is Yichun, China's biggest forest city. The forested area covers four million hectares. Yichun is also the country's earliest state-owned forest region. It's exploration started in 1948.

Over the past 60 years, a great deal of timber was transported from here to different places throughout China to support the country's economic development. But unrestrained logging has come at a high price. The forest reserves in Yichun have been reduced by more than a half. Stringent conservation measures adopted by the local government since 2003 have enabled the forest to begin recovering. Resource growth surpassed consumption in 2007 for the first time in 60 years. Currently Yichun sees an annual increase of 5 million cubic meters.