Green Sim | Villagers in Zhejiang marvel at changes brought by green economy

It's a rustic beauty few in cities have access to. Wang Yuzhong used to be a bamboo manufacturer. But in recent years he's been trying his hands at a new business, providing an authentic rural experience to people who've had enough of the urban hustle and bustle.

WANG YUZHONG Guesthouse owner, Anji "You know, this used to be our factory workshop for weaving bamboo mats. When I decided to turn it into a guest house, I gave it a makeover. So it's become what it's like now. It used to be really dusty and dirty inside. There were only machines."

Since the early 2000s, Anji has made the green economy a top priority for the county. Family workshops like Wang's have gradually been phased out. It's a trend that accelerated after Chinese President Xi Jinping, then party secretary of Zhejiang province visited in 2005 and spoke about the importance of sustainable development.

WANG YUZHONG Guesthouse owner, Anji "'Green mountains and clear waters are as good as mountains of gold and silver,' Xi said. So I thought, given the context, Anji would most certainly put its focus on the development of tourism and I'd need to make the switch anyway. So I thought I'd better do so sooner rather than later."

It turned out Wang made the right choice. The number of tourists to Anji has been growing every year. In 2019 alone, there were more than 28-million visitors. And people are benefiting from a green economy in other ways as well.

JIA XIAOMING Tea farmer "Previously it was all firewood here. In the 1990s tea growing was popularized, so we removed the firewood trees and planted tea."

Jia Xiaoming's family has been growing a type of tea that's particular to Anji for more than three decades. In recent years, as Anji's reputation grows by the day, Jia says returns in selling the tea have also doubled.

JIA WEI Entrepreneur and son of Jia Xiaoming "I have a deep affection for Anji's tea because our living conditions here were quite tough before, but growing tea has really improved our lives. Actually, for my father's generation, tea is no more than a farm product. But I hope to open up a new path for spreading tea culture, for example by mixing drinks to attract young customers.”

Whether in the form of tea leaves or bamboo, the transformations in Anji are making it easier for locals to pursue a better life and the green economy is front and center. It's a place where the green mountains and clear waters are not only sustaining the environment but also people's livelihoods. XMQ, CGTN, Anji, Zhejiang province.

The original title of this article is "Sustainable Development: Villagers in Zhejiang province marvel at changes brought by green economy"

(Edited by Ye Ke)