Locals go sightseeing along the walking path on Binjiang Road in Guangyuan, Sichuan province, on June 6. [Photo provided to cngy.gov.cn]

The Cuiyun Corridor in Guangyuan, Sichuan province, spanning 151 kilometers, boasts the best-preserved, largest and most numerous ancient tree clusters in China. It is home to 7,803 ancient trees with an average age of more than 1,000 years.

To protect these ancient trees, the local government has introduced a "forest chief + tree chief" managing system and has included the number and growth status of cypresses as important metrics to be shared among county and township Party and government leaders to keep track of.

In recent years, Guangyuan has pursued initiatives such as reducing industrial peak emissions, reducing catering oil fume pollution and banning fireworks and firecrackers. These efforts have resulted in the proportion of days with good air quality in Guangyuan increasing to 95.3 percent.

The city has also been proactive in river water ecological restoration, focusing on the Jialing River and Bailong River. Because of this, the proportion of sections with good water quality in national and provincial assessments in both is 100 percent.

In addition, the city has been dedicated to the high-quality construction of the Tangjiahe Nature Reserves and the Giant Panda National Park. It has completed approximately 34,847 hectares of afforestation, raising the forest coverage rate to 57.85 percent.

Notably, the first national first-class protected wild animals, including the crested ibis and the white-naped crane, have been frequently spotted in the area.