The green hills and blue water of Lijiang River Tourism Zone in Guangxi. [Photo/chinanews.com]

South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region planted 3.5 million mu (233,333 hectares) of trees in 2018, with a forest coverage rate of 62.37 percent. As a result, the region's ecological environment has been improved, ranking among the best in the country, according to statistics released by the regional forestry department. 

National Guilin Forest Park focuses on the preservation of the natural environment. [Photo/chinanews.com]

In the early 1980s, the forest coverage rate in Guangxi was only 29 percent, and the region has since launched large-scale afforestation projects over the past three decades, which have achieved more tangible results, said Lu Zhixing, deputy director of the regional forestry department.

Forestry departments at all levels place emphasis on afforestation and protection, and have planted trees in a scientific way, achieving an average annual afforestation area of over 3.5 million mu for 11 consecutive years, Lu added. 

Beihai Golden Bay Mangrove Ecological Protection Zone is home to hundreds of marine creatures. [Photo/chinanews.com]

In 2019, Guangxi will see its afforestation area increase by 2.3 million mu, and the forest coverage rate is expected to reach 62.45 percent, 0.08 percentage points higher than that in 2018. The gross output of forestry will total 610 billion yuan ($90 billion), up 8.4 percent year-on-year.