Donglan county holds an investment promotion activity during the first Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Industry Exchange Conference. [Photo provided to guangxi.chinadaily.com.cn/hechi]

Hechi's Donglan county held an investment promotion activity during the first Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Industry Exchange Conference, which was held in Nanning, Guangxi on July 21.

Donglan is home to 768 species of medicinal plants. It is also a paradise for longevity foods, such as black rice, black rice wine, black chicken, chestnuts, and black pork.

Over the past two years, Donglan has developed various medicinal herb industries, including ribbonbush, mugwort, star anise, and Sichuan pepper. It also encouraged 36 TCM enterprises to plant and promote the development of 24 new herbal planting bases. The county's total TCM cultivation area reaches 136,200 mu (9,080 hectares).

Donglan is covered with dense vegetation, resulting in a forest coverage rate of 84.35 percent. It has rich wellness resources and deserves the reputation as "the hometown of Chinese longevity." As a result, Donglan has transformed into a new development model that combines its TCM industry, with health wellness, geomagnetic sleep, and ecology.

With an annual budget of over 100 million yuan ($14 million), Donglan is establishing a complete industry infrastructure.

Efforts are being made to create a demonstration zone for wellness industries along the Hongshui River. The construction of wellness resorts and homestays in the county is also being accelerated.