The harvest after the storm: Lin’an Model Forest’s story of resilience

The reforestation drive in Lin'an district in China’s Zhejiang province aligns with a broader shift that followed the devastating floods of 1988 and 1990. The massive flooding, which was partly attributed to over-logging, prompted the launch of major conservation programmes. Over the years, a sharp decline in commercial logging of natural forests followed.

Today, about 83 per cent or 260,000 hectares of Lin’an is forested. Among these, 150,000 hectares are plantation forest and 110,000 hectares are natural forest. Known as China’s ‘hickory capital’ and ‘home of bamboo shoots’, it also has pine, Chinese fir and Chinese yew as dominant species.

The government owns the forest lands of Lin’an. Their management is handled either collectively by communities or contracted to individual households for a maximum term of 70 years.

In the 1980s, the district’s economy was heavily dependent on timber extraction and bamboo monoculture. It was not easy to ‘sell’ the concept of restoration at the start. Immediate needs and subsistence outweighed long-term sustainability for many.

While some Lin’an residents adopted diversified tree planting after the floods, not all were easily convinced. Stopping the destruction of the forest required a mindset shift towards realizing more than the immediate monetary value of the forest, and recognizing its role in sustainable livelihoods and ecosystems protection.

Building back better

A movement to plant hickory trees and grow bamboo shoots began in the 1990s when the local government partnered with the Chinese Academy of Forestry. By 1999, Lin’an also joined the International Model Forest Network (IMFN). Efforts to transition to non-timber forest products (NTFPs) accelerated in the district in the years that followed.

Now 80 years old, Wang Anguo, former chief engineer at the Lin’an Forestry Bureau, recalls how the community in Baisha, a village in Taihuyuan township, united in the aftermath of the flooding. “Communities were earnest in forest landscape restoration efforts. They wanted livelihood, not disasters,” he says.

Technical expertise was brought in. Research sparked groundbreaking techniques in the cultivation of bamboo shoots and hickory nuts. Hickory trees were grown in the hilly part of the west, and bamboos on the eastern and central parts of the district. Baisha village, maximizing its mountainous slopes, decided on a layered approach to planting.

Although funds were limited, community members were determined to learn and build their capacity to sustainably grow and manage the forest. To provide long-term technical assistance, the establishment of the Engineers’ Association followed.

Working together

The executive committee overseeing Lin’an’s forestry journey comprises the Chinese Academy of Forestry, the Lin’an Forestry Bureau and the Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University. They work with a new generation of stakeholders, strengthening learning and ensuring the Model Forest is sustained.

During a visit in 2025, we met Ying Tao, 33, who moved back home to take care of the family farm previously run by his father Ying Shuixi, 68, and mother Chen Guilan, 63. The farm holds around 53 hectares of hickory trees intercropped with medicinal plants commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine.

The Yings are among a group of farmers who use organic fertilizers and intelligent insect monitoring that, with camera and sensors, leverage AI technology and IoT (internet of things) to collect data and analyze pests. Government, private companies or research institutes process the data to provide information and recommendations that guide farmers on the types of pest-management interventions through an app.

Sustaining the future: Youth and ecotourism

Today, there are over 340 nut processing enterprises in Lin’an. Bamboo shoots, despite limited income data, are known to yield good earnings for Lin’an farmers. Together with hickory nuts and other NTFPs, these crops generate income that compares favourably with the average annual income of farmers in the country.

The per capita income in Lin’an has grown from USD 144/person in 1990 to USD 6,690/person in 2024. For Baisha, their forest coverage has rebounded to 90 per cent in 2024 from 60.4 per cent in 1985.

Alongside the forests, boutique hotels have popped up ready to receive tourists wanting to escape the bustle of the city. “The next big thing for Lin’an is ecotourism,” says Mr. Wang.

At the Torreya grandis management model site, we visited the Gukahui, which features a café with rooms to let. Though not originally from the area, Li Ting, 33, one of the café owners found the area promising and prime for business. Their cafe reflects the ecotourism and wellbeing trends that are becoming central to Lin’an’s future.

The involvement of the youth with opportunities for their future is notable in the district. In 2021, the Lin’an government implemented the 2019 Zhejiang Policy to encourage flows of financial resources and technology to rural regions and return migration of talents and youth for rural revitalization.

Currently, a ‘two-in, two-return’ initiative allocates about USD 565,000 (CNY 4 million) financial subsidy for young people. For most young entrepreneurs, the first-year support typically ranges from USD 1,400 to 7,000. (up to CNY 50,000).

After trying it out in the big city as a finance executive, Ying Tao is happy to have returned home and manage the family business. “This way, I get to be home with my parents and manage the farm while doing what I love most – marketing and guiding the financial aspects,” he says.

The community, people’s willingness to change, the government’s steady support and the convergence of diverse sectors have enabled Lin’an to grow into the thriving Model Forest it is today. And the local youth choosing to stay back or return to the district make a difference. Through local knowledge, scientific expertise, sound policies and partnerships, Lin’an has not just restored its forests but also redefined its future.

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Mary Ann Llanza is director of the Knowledge Management, Information Technology and Strategic Communication unit at RECOFTC.

The Regional Model Forest Network–Asia is supported by the Global Leadership Program under the Department of Natural Resources, Government of Canada. RECOFTC is the Secretariat of RMFN–Asia.