Taizhou's Xianju county, along with other 12 places in Zhejiang province, was recently conferred with a provincial honor for its outstanding efforts to build an ecological civilization system.

Xianju covers an area of 2,000 square kilometers, 79.57 percent of which is covered by forests that are rich in biological resources. The area has been hailed by experts as a "natural plant gene bank" and a "museum of animals and plants" in Zhejiang.

In May, the Xianju Biodiversity Museum, the first of its kind in East China, was opened to the public.

Partly funded by the French Development Agency, the 150-million-yuan ($23 million) museum has an exhibition area of 2,800 square meters that is divided into sections that showcase geological landscape, ecosystem diversity, animal diversity, plant diversity, microbial diversity and ecosystem services.

The county has also set up tourism facilities like homestays to accommodate the many visitors attracted by the county's unspoiled natural landscapes.

In 2021, the occupancy rate of homestays in Xianju surpassed 60 percent, and the average annual revenue of homestay operators around the Shenxianju Scenic Spot was 250,000 yuan, official statistics show.

By virtue of its ideal geographical location and climate, Xianju is endowed with rich natural resources and is best known for its waxberry and tea.

In a bid to raise awareness of local agricultural products, Xianju launched an agricultural brand called Shenxiandanong and inaugurated a flagship store in the Shenxianju Scenic Spot in March. To date, more than 50 kinds of characteristic agricultural products in the county are sold at the store.