Trees, our enduring companions, hold immense power when they gather into vast forests. Liaoning, with 5.3 million hectares of forest, is a major province of collective forests, accounting for 88% of its total woodland. This green expanse is a treasure trove of resources and a lifeline for countless forest farmers. With the province's forestry and grass industry output hitting over 70 billion yuan, the question has been how to unlock its full potential. For years, Liaoning has been exploring the answer.

Back in 2005, Liaoning pioneered collective forest tenure reform in northern China, achieving the initial goal of "securing mountain rights, tree roots, and people's hearts." In 2025, it issued the "Implementation Plan for Deepening Collective Forest Tenure Reform in Liaoning Province" to address new challenges, introducing policies to drive high-quality forestry development. The aim is to transform resources into assets, living trees into cash, and forest farmers into shareholders. The reform winds have swept through the eastern Liaoning mountains first. As a key part of the Northeast forest region, this area boasts 38.89 million mu of forests with a coverage rate exceeding 70%. This rich mountainous resource provides ample space for reform implementation. Xiuyan Manchu Autonomous County in Anshan, Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County in Fushun, and Huanren Manchu Autonomous County in Benxi are the provincial pilot sites. Traveling through these areas, tangible changes are evident after years of deep exploration.

Activating Resources to Turn Woodlands into "Green Banks"

"My ginseng base is now a 'bank,' paying out dividends every year," said Shen Deyi, manager of an under-forest ginseng base in Yongling Town, Xinbin. In midsummer, his base is harvesting seed pods. Last year, he collected over 3,000 jin of seeds, earning 300,000 yuan; this year, revenue is expected to hit 700,000 yuan. By 2028, when the base reaches full production, fresh ginseng yield per mu could reach 1,500 jin, with a per-mu output value exceeding 50,000 yuan. In 2021, Shen contracted 120 mu of Larch plantation forest to grow ginseng under the canopy. Previously, scattered woodlands were underutilized, leaving farmers unable to benefit from their resources. Now, consolidated and transferred land is efficiently developed, unlocking greater economic value. This moderate-scale forestry model is exactly what the reform encourages. "Last year, we proposed implementing the 'three rights separation' reform for collective forests—ownership, contracting rights, and management rights—allowing land management rights to be legally transferred through leasing, equity participation, or cooperation, providing institutional support for forestry development," explained Wang Libo, Director of the Reform and Development Division of the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau. In 2025, the province adjusted nearly 700,000 mu of public welfare forests to commercial forests, further freeing up forest space. To protect the rights of farmers and forest operators, natural resources and forestry departments at all levels are accelerating the registration of forest land rights, integrating collective forest rights registration into regular immovable property registration and legally conducting forest right mortgage registration. The benefits of land revitalization extend beyond planting output, creating local employment. "My home is nearby, so I can work whenever I'm free to supplement family income," said worker Lu Shanshan, earning 130 yuan daily. However, forestry development is always based on ecological priority. "Through tending ginseng, the soil fertility has improved, becoming softer and more porous, which makes the trees grow faster," Shen noted, pointing to a Larch tree that has grown significantly. The reform not only activates forest space but also promotes under-forest economy through scientific management and relaxed forest tending controls. In 2022, Lu Jiangfu, head of Xinyi Traditional Chinese Medicine Farm, transferred 12 hectares of Larch plantation in Xiuyan to cultivate Northeast Epimedium under the forest. This choice was based on market demand and local conditions. Forestry also needs financial support. "In 2023, I borrowed 680,000 yuan from Liaoning Rural Commercial Bank, which will be repaid by September. This year, I'm applying for a 1 million yuan credit line," Lu said. "Based on current growth, our medicinal herb output is expected to increase by 25% this year, with improved bud emergence and stem growth," he added, attributing this to both careful field management and policy adjustments. "Previously, forest tending had rigid canopy density red lines, making it hard to adjust light penetration. But last year's provincial policy relaxed post-tending canopy density control indicators for under-forest economy," Wang explained. Leveraging this policy, the farm has created a suitable semi-shaded environment for Epimedium without heavy logging. The forest offers many more gifts. Thanks to reform, local under-forest industries like red pine forests and Asarum are also thriving. In 2025, the province developed 120,000 mu of specialty economic forests and under-forest economy, with 60,000 mu each, an increase from previous years.

Extending the Chain to Multiply the Value of Forest Products

By afternoon, Ma Qingbo, a villager in Xiuyan, was heading to the mountain to place last week's tussah moth eggs on trees. As a major tussah grower in the county, his annual income reaches over 100,000 yuan. Xiuyan is known as China's top tussah county, with over 60,000 people in the industry, producing an annual direct output value of about 1.2 billion yuan from cocoons. After harvest, cocoons enter processing—silk reeling, medicinal use, or food—multiplying their value. "While raising tussah, farmers also tend oak forests, pruning branches within policy limits," explained Zhang Chengfu, Chief Engineer of Xiuyan Forestry Center. The county promotes using oak branches as mushroom sticks, creating a "tussah-mushroom" circular model. At the Shuangying Edible Mushroom Cooperative, a short drive from Ma's home, mushroom sticks made from oak branches are visible: cylindrical, 30 cm long, 10 cm in diameter, each consuming 4 jin of branches. "Our shiitake mushrooms are crispy and popular, filling a summer market gap, selling for over 10 yuan per kg," said cooperative manager Liu Wei. In Huanren, wild ginseng is processed into slices, turning forest gifts into income. "All wild and under-forest ginseng used in Beijing Tongrentang's 2,000-plus offline stores comes from Huanren," said Wang Na, Quality Director at the company. The company chose Huanren for its unique ecological environment, as a core production area for under-forest ginseng. Using local ginseng, the company has developed a freeze-dried powder with 100% domestic market share, promoting sustainable industry development. Family farms are a key support entity in the reform, encouraging "small mountains to become big mountains" through land exchanges. The Yuhong Family Farm in Xinbin, established nearly 10 years ago, grows red pine mushrooms and lingzhi under the forest. "With the new reform, we've added 300 mu of red pine mushrooms and 100 mu of lingzhi, involving nearby villagers," said farm owner Tu Kuijuan. "We've also extended the chain, making crispy mushroom snacks for multi-channel sales, hiring over 3,000 local villagers annually, with an output value of 18 million yuan." Most of this land is transferred from villagers. "Previously, the land was idle. Now, I get rent and can work nearby, which feels secure," said Wang Guizhong, a farm worker and beneficiary.

Diverse Transformation to Turn Forests into Golden Mountains

In late summer, despite the heat, entering Huanren's Maple Valley Forest Park brings a refreshing breeze. "The temperature here is 10掳C lower than outside," said park manager Wang Guochun. With 98.75% forest cover and 30,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter, the park attracts 200,000 visitors annually, generating 10 million yuan in revenue. It's been recognized as a "China Forest Oxygen Bar" and "National AAAA Tourist Attraction." However, 15 years ago, this was Huanren's poorest state-owned forest farm. "The farm relied on logging, but that path closed," Wang said. In 2011, eight local farms jointly invested to develop a forest tourism site, creating over 50 attractions like waterfalls and boardwalks. The change was immediate. "When it opened in 2013, my salary was over 4,000 yuan, higher than local civil servants," recalled veteran worker Zhang Chunyou. The shift from "selling timber" to "selling scenery" transforms "cutting trees" to "viewing trees," exemplifying Liaoning's ecological value conversion. "This three-dimensional model—timber above, economy below, and scenery in between—is our goal," Wang said. "Reform aims to turn resources into assets, capital, and funds for real benefit." Last year's reform further explored incentive mechanisms for state-owned forest farms and encouraged green industries like ecotourism and forest health. In forestry, culture can also be a medium. Liaoning Shenzhongtang Health Industry Co., Ltd. has built a wild ginseng museum and a mountain culture museum, turning forest economy into a learnable cultural experience. Leveraging Huanren's status as "China's Ginseng Hometown," the company integrates ginseng's intangible cultural heritage and regional culture, making it more than just food. The museums display ginseng's growth process and ancient customs through multimedia and scenery. "Our goal is to activate industrial value through cultural value, releasing the potential of under-forest ginseng," said Chairman Liu Houkun. Since opening, the museums have received over 3 million visitors. Reform breeds vitality. The exploration of forest tenure has awakened sleeping woodlands, harmonizing ecological protection, industrial development, and farmer income. The mountains are silent, but the new sprouts emerging from the forest are the best answer. Liaoning's journey continues, turning its green wealth into sustainable prosperity.