East China's Fujian province has been promoting ecological civilization and transforming its economic growth over the past several decades.

In August, the province was designated a national ecological experimental zone by the central government, the first in the country.

Fujian was selected for its "relatively optimal ecological foundation, and relatively strong environmental resource capacity", according to a guideline released by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

Fujian became the country's first ecological civilization demonstration zone in April 2014. President Xi Jinping, then governor of the province, first proposed the goal of building an ecological province in 2000 and added it in his government work report to the annual provincial People's Congress two years later.

Ecological resources are the most precious treasure of Fujian and should be used as the most competitive strength of the province, said Xi, who had worked at several positions in the province for 17 years from 1985-2002.

Any form of resource development should be conducted under the precondition of ecological protection so that sustainable social and economic development can be realized, he said.

During the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-15), the province planted forests in an area totaling 1.11 million hectares, up 48 percent compared with the previous Five-Year Plan period. About 66 percent of the province is now covered by forest, compared with just 63.1 percent five years ago.

The province's GDP increased by 10.7 percent annually on average during the period, while the number of discharged pollutants decreased for five consecutive years, according to the provincial statistics bureau.

Now, the province's carbon emissions per unit of GDP are only half the national average.

Fujian should abstain from the path of pursuing extensive economic growth at the cost of environment, said You Quan, Party chief of the province.

"Can we call it a quality life if we live in fancy buildings and drive luxury cars while inhaling smog and drinking tainted water?" he asked.