Shennongjia nature reserve in Hubei province stands out as an example of balanced tourism development in China. Shennongjia began to see large-scale lumber exploitation in the 1960s, which badly depleted tree cover in the region. However, local authorities began to protect and develop the region into an eco-tourism destination in the 1980s. In 2016, Shennongjia was crowned China's first world natural heritage site by UNESCO. (Photo/People's Daily Online)