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An aerial view of Gutang village in Wangjiangjing town, Xiuzhou district, Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo/jiaxingren.com]

The total income of rural collectives in Jiaxing has increased from 684 million yuan ($95.34 million) in 2003 to 5.2 billion yuan in 2022, a 7.6-fold increase, making it the first city in Zhejiang province where the annual regular income of villages exceeds 1 million yuan.

The per capita income of rural residents in the city has increased from 6,127 yuan in 2003 to 46,276 yuan in 2022, a 7.5-fold increase, ranking first in the province for 19 consecutive years.

One notable example is Gutang village in Wangjiangjing town, Xiuzhou district.

After years of development, Gutang village has transformed from an agricultural village into a scenic village that integrates rural tourism and industrial empowerment, promoting the growth of the collective economy and increasing villagers' incomes.

The 220-mu (14.6-hectare) Zhenxun ecological agriculture fishery base in Gutang village, completed in 2021, integrates ecological aquaculture, fishing, and sports.

The base has provided jobs for older people in Gutang village.

"I work eight hours a day. The income is 4,000 yuan a month. It's close to my home and I can take care of my family, " said Gong Shuirong, a resident of Gutang village.

Villager Zhang Jiawei runs a kayaking base. He said that the village's improved environment has attracted more tourists. The base now has an income of 500,000 to 600,000 yuan a year.

The village's collective income increased from 510,000 yuan in 2003 to 3.65 million yuan in 2022, while villagers' annual per capita income increased from about 6,000 yuan in 2003 to 47,000 yuan in 2022.