A bird's-eye view of Longyou River in Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong [Photo/IC]

A total of 10 villages in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, were included on a list of "National Forest Villages", which was released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Jan 17.

The villages in question were Changzheng, Zhongnan, and Taiyang, all located in the county-level city of Haimen; Tushan and Jinbei, both located in Tongzhou district; Longyou River, Wenzhuang community, Zhiqing community, and Zhouzhuang community, all located in the county-level city of Rugao; and Qixing, located in the county-level city of Qidong.

A "forest village" is a village with well-preserved natural landscapes, a large area of forest, a strong forestry industry, and a good living environment.

The list was produced after comprehensive evaluations based on six indicators, including the protection of natural landscapes, the management of forests, grasslands, and water, the development of green areas, and ecological awareness in villages.

Nantong, the host city of the 2019 China Forest Tour Festival, has become a model for green development.

Official statistics show that the city has developed 23,780 hectares of newly afforested area since 2016.

Over the past three years, the local government has invested around 8.6 billion yuan ($1.25 billion) into the planting of trees. A total of 10 forest parks, nine wetland parks, and 368 downtown parks have been built, raising the per capita public green area to 18.67 square meters.