Xingyi county in Guizhou province is a garden city with a beautiful clean environment. [Photo/zgqxn.com]

Xingyi and Ceheng counties in the Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, Guizhou province, were nominated on the list of “2017 100 deep-breathing towns” by the China State Economics Association on March 18.

The list was launched to promote eco-friendly development and calls for governments at all levels to balance the economy and environmental protection. Only counties with over 50 percent forest coverage and with a good ecological environment can be listed as deep-breathing towns.

Xingyi and Ceheng counties in Qianxinan prefecture won the honorary title in 2014. The final list for 2017 will be announced on May 19, National Tourism Day in China.

Xingyi county, the capital of Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, is famous for its pleasant climate. It has become an example of excellent mountain tourism in Guizhou province, and is now the permanent site of the International Mountain Tourism Conference.

With Bouyei people accounting for 76 percent of the population, Ceheng county is honored as China’s No 1 Bouyei county. The ecological environment is perfect in Ceheng, where the rate of forest coverage rate has reached 67 percent. Tourists are attracted by its karst landscapes and unique traditional customs.

Unique landscapes make Xingyi county an examplel of mountain tourism in Guizhou. [Photo/zgqxn.com]

Surrounded by continuous mountains, the forest coverage rate in Ceheng county, Guizhou province is quite high. [Photo/zgqxn.com]