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A bridge connects the north and south Shantang villages in Shanghai and Jiaxing. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Shantang villages of Langxia town in Shanghai and Guangchen town in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, separated by a bridge and a river, are known as the north and south Shantang villages.

In 2019, Langxia and other two towns in Jinshan district, Shanghai established cooperation with Guangchen and Xincang towns in Pinghu, Jiaxing, initiating the establishment of the pilot area for rural vitalization in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Annual events like the Zhejiang-Shanghai rural marathon and agricultural fairs promote interactions and cultural exchanges between the areas.

By 2023, the five towns saw significant economic growth, with an average gross income surpassing 6.3 million yuan ($869,324.92) and per capita income reaching 46,000 yuan.

The Shantang scenic area attracts many tourists during the May Day holiday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The "Mingyue Shantang" scenic area, jointly created by Langxia and Guangchen towns, has fostered over 100 cultural and tourism businesses, generating over 200 new jobs.

The area features wellness hotels and garden restaurants. During the Spring Festival holiday, the area welcomed 84,700 visits, resulting in tourism revenue of 3.49 million yuan with a year-on-year increase of 152 percent.

Additionally, the establishment of a cross-regional green channel has streamlined processes, enabling issues to be handled locally or online, and reducing the need to travel between Jinshan and Pinghu.

Yan Bin, Party secretary of Guangchen town, emphasized the close relationship between the areas, "Pinghu and Jinshan share a 58-kilometer land border. We have long been close partners in cooperation, especially amid the wave of the integration in the Yangtze River Delta."