Baita town in Xianju county of Taizhou emerges as a popular tourism destination thanks to efforts by local authorities to conserve the environment. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

Located near Shenxianju, a national 5A scenic spot, Baita town in Xianju county has been emerging as a popular tourism destination thanks to efforts by local authorities to protect the local environment. 

Wang Ce, Party chief of Baita town, said that they aspire to develop the town into a demonstration zone for the "Two Mountains" theory, which calls clear waters and lush mountains invaluable assets comparable to the gold and silver of legend.

The town has implemented a string of measures to safeguard the local environment. One such measure is the issuance of "green currency".

Residents and visitors are encouraged to play their part by adopting a green lifestyle such as using public transportation and not using disposable toiletries 

Those who are leading a green low-carbon lifestyle will be awarded a certain amount of green currency, which later can be exchanged for cash or daily necessities. 

By virtue of its strong environment and proximity to Shenxianju, Baita has gradually gained in popularity as a tourism destination. 

Jingyuan village, which has a population of over 1,200, most of whom work in the tourism industry. 

The village now accommodates 34 homestays. 

According to Li Tianguang, Party chief of the village, the six high-end homestays bring in as much as 400,000 to 500,000 yuan ($724,637.6) per year. 

In addition to homestays, the village also offers recreational activities such as fruit picking and farming. 

In 2019, Jingyuan was designated as a demonstration village for courtyard construction and garbage classification. 

Jingyuan, along with the villages of Gande, Donghengjie, and Huanglong in Baita town, were included in a provincial campaign to construct beautiful villages last year. 

They will receive investments totaling 79.35 million yuan from the provincial government.