An aerial photo shows the beautiful scenery of Hetaoyuan town. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Thanks to local government's efforts in ecological restoration, abandoned mines and large areas of deserted hillsides in Hetaoyuan town in Heze city have been transformed into forests and eco-agriculture bases, bringing tangible benefits to local villagers.

Located in Juye county, Hetaoyuan is the only township with rock resources in Heze. Rock mining used to be the local pillar industry, which seriously damaged the ecological environment.

After the mountain was closed to mining in 2015, the local government began to restore the ecological environment and develop tourism and specialty farming industries.

The local government has made new strides in advancing afforestation, aiming to turn the mining areas into green bases. Adhering to the notion that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, the local government has afforested more than 6,000 mu (about 400 hectares) of barren mountains and planted more than 210,000 trees of multiple varieties.

The beautiful landscape of Hetaoyuan town [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Juye county government also encouraged local village Party branches to run cooperatives based on local conditions. Villagers are guided to plant fruit trees and develop bases for high-quality agricultural and sideline products.

After years of development, the barren mining areas now have become a fertile oasis. Several scenic spots and Jinshan Cultural Tourism Town have been built to further develop the tourism industry.

Currently, the Jinshan Cultural Tourism Town receives more than 2 million tourists a year, generating tourism revenue of 240 million yuan ($33 million).

In 2022, the Jinshan Cultural Tourism Town was approved as a characteristic town in Shandong province.

Villagers harvest peaches in Hetaoyuan town. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]