An aerial view shows Longgang, the youngest county-level city in Zhejiang province. [Photo/the official website of Longgang]

Longgang, the youngest county-level city in Zhejiang province, administered by Wenzhou, recorded a GDP of 44.37 billion yuan ($6.20 billion) in 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, its GDP exceeded 12.5 billion yuan, growing 6.7 percent year-on-year, surpassing the provincial average.

Home to fewer than 480,000 permanent residents, Longgang has experienced rapid transformation since being upgraded from a town to a city in 2019.

Printing once formed the backbone of Longgang's economy. In the 1990s, low costs and efficient production enabled the city to host nearly 800 printing companies, generating over 30 billion yuan in output by the end of the 1990s. However, the city's traditional low-cost, small-scale printing model soon reached its limits as market demands shifted.

To overcome these challenges, Longgang pursued industrial upgrading. The city introduced eco-friendly inks, automated post-press technologies, and culturally creative products such as children's books and collectible blind boxes. By 2024, the full value chain of Longgang's printing and packaging industry reached 200 billion yuan, nearly double that of 2019, accounting for 60 percent of the city's GDP.

High-tech industries are now driving Longgang's next phase of growth. In 2024, high-tech sectors contributed 55.5 percent of the city's industrial added value, growing 15.8 percent year-on-year. Major projects include a 10 billion yuan clean energy demonstration project by China Resources Power and a 50 billion yuan lithium battery separator production base.

Driven by industrial upgrading, technological innovation, and institutional reform, Longgang is solidifying its position as a key player in Zhejiang's dynamic economic landscape.