Residents of Datong Village of Jinzhu She Ethnic Group Township in Le’an County, east China’s Jiangxi Province earn good profit from homestay for tourists. XINHUA

NANCHANG (Xinhua) — It’s widely believed that economic growth inevitably comes at the cost of the environment, yet local practices in China have bared the secret of turning the invaluable assets of “lucid water and lush mountains” into money while protecting the environment.

In October this year, over 260 villagers from Jinzhu She Ethnic Township in the city of Fuzhou, east China’s Jiangxi Province, shared a dividend of 280,000 yuan ($39,800) from a tourism development company.

“I never expected that I could make any money from the natural scenery right in front of my house,” said Lan Zhiping, one of the villagers. The 37-year old received 1,100 yuan as a dividend at the end of last year.

It was a far different situation two years ago. The primary earner of a family of five only made around 5,000 yuan a year selling wild vegetables and doing odd jobs.

In 2017, a tourism development company doubled down on the outstanding local ecological environment and invited local land keepers to devote their land-use rights as a production element to tourism development. In return, local residents enjoy an annual dividend payout.

“Our village has taken on a new look. I not only receive a dividend from the tour company but also build wealth through tourism,” said Lan, who now can make over 25,000 yuan a year by running a homestay at the tourist site.

Lan’s delight is felt across many parts of China. For many regions, making money no longer means polluting lands or cutting trees as a new development concept is helping transform green assets into revenue for locals.

Since 2017, China has rolled out implementation plans for national ecological civilization pilot zones in several provinces, including Jiangxi, Fujian and Guizhou. These plans highlight the realization of ecological products’ value.

Fuzhou, designated as a pilot area for realizing the value of ecological products in Jiangxi, has experienced plenty of meaningful trials and errors during its pursuit of green development.

One of its administered regions, Zixi county, stands out as it has successfully gone through a challenging period of transformation.

The county was once notorious for its highly-polluted pesticide plants, mining companies and wood processing enterprises. There were more than 100 mining companies in the county at its peak, damaging the natural landscape and draining natural resources, said Wu Jianhua, former Party chief of the county.