Journalists take a photo in front of a towering monument bearing the inscription "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" in May 2024. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," first proposed in Zhejiang province.

Over two decades, the province has carried out multiple rounds of ecological initiatives, from the "river-chief" monitoring system and the integrated water governance program to zero direct sewage discharge zones and "zero-waste city" pilots.

The province has also developed new ways to turn ecological resources into economic wealth. Over the past 20 years, the ratio of urban-to-rural income in Zhejiang has narrowed from 2.45 to 1.83. Rural residents' per capita disposable income remains the highest among all provinces.

Zhejiang has also emerged as a national leader in clean energy. By the end of June, total installed power capacity reached 165 million kilowatts, with renewable sources making up more than half. Solar capacity, at 59.47 million kilowatts, overtook coal to become the province's largest power source, growing 53.4 percent year-on-year.

Coal consumption's share has fallen below 40 percent, far under the national average, while energy use per unit of GDP has dropped by more than 38 percent — among the steepest declines nationwide.

From 2004 to 2024, Zhejiang's GDP jumped from 1.15 trillion yuan ($160.34 billion) to over 9 trillion yuan, producing 6.7 percent of China's total GDP with just 1.1 percent of the country's land, 2.9 percent of its water use, and 4.7 percent of its population.