Huzhou stands on the south bank of the Taihu Lake.[Photo by Wu Jianxun/For China Daily]

Lying on the south bank of Taihu Lake, the city of Huzhou in Zhejiang province is a natural haven surrounded by breathtaking verdant mountains and cool, clear waters.

A broader interest in Chinese culture, a booming investment environment and ecological living conditions have spurred new employment opportunities in the region.

With the continued support of the reform and opening-up policies, more and more foreigners are moving to Huzhou to live and work, and start a family or a business.

These people have contributed to the rapid development of the city, and helped to increase trade and cultural exchanges between Huzhou and the rest of the world.

Two years ago, 26-year-old Iranian Mehraz Karami set up a painting studio in a guesthouse in Shanbei village, Suixi town, Wuxing district. By day, Karami travels to the bamboo forests of Chashan Mountain to sketch, while by night, he immerses himself in his studio.

When he feels tired, he grabs a breath of fresh air at his front door, where the cold winds blow in from the mountains and boost his creative inspiration. Karami says that it was Huzhou's clear waters and green mountains that drew him to stay and work as an independent rural artist.