At a press conference held by the State Council on July 14, the Ministry of Natural Resources praised Hunan's pioneering efforts in the reform of combined supply of natural resource assets, citing Dongzhou Island in Hengyang City as an example. 

Dongzhou Island, hailed as "Dongzhou Peach Blossoms among Waves," is one of the Eight Views of Hengyang in ancient times. The famous Chuanshan Academy has stood on the island for over a century.

 
For years, this 324-mu (about 21.6 hectares) island was undervalued due to fragmented management across related departments.
 
In 2024, taking the opportunity of hosting the Third Hunan Tourism Development Conference, the Hengyang government designated Dongzhou Island as a pilot for the reform of combined supply of natural resource assets. The local authorities surveyed the ownership and current status of the 324-mu land, 13-km-long Xiangjiang River shoreline, and 18 cultural and tourism attractions on the island, investing 530 million CNY for asset enhancement in the preliminary stage. In 2024, three rights concerning the island's natural assets—the right to use 82.02-mu state-owned construction land, the right to manage island-wide cultural tourism, and the right to operate the Xiangjiang River cruise sightseeing—were openly tendered to the market and dealt at  615 million CNY.

The units acquiring the rights moved promptly, rolling out targeted development plans: setting up a 4-km-long fountain belt around the island to light up the nightscape along the Xiangjiang River; using AR/VR technology to bring the century-old Chuanshan Academy to life; developing a Mango Happy Forest to attract families with children; and, creating a Suzhouwan Old Street with 36 antique-style buildings. A mandate also requires that at least 50% of the island's space must open to the public freely to ensure the public-service character of the island as a people's park.

The effects soon bore fruit. As of May this year, Dongzhou Island had received 3.725 million tourist visits, with a single-day record of 80,000, generating total revenue of 10.45 million CNY and directly driving over two billion CNY in consumption. The green area has reached 240,000 square meters, the Xiangjiang River water quality has remained at Grade II, and 1,200 mu (about 80 hectares) of wetlands have been restored. The island has been rated as a national 4A-level scenic spot.

Dongzhou Island's experience in combining multiple rights to address fragmented resource management was selected by the Ministry of Natural Resources this year as a typical case of eco-product value realization. Hunan Province has led the nation in establishing a ten-department collaboration mechanism, completing 28 combined supply projects with a total transaction value of 8.031 billion CNY.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn