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Lishui's green development over 20 years

chinadaily.com.cn| Updated : Jul 20, 2020 L M S

Lishui in East China's Zhejiang province boasts a superior ecological environment. However, in the past, the mountains and waters were like obstacles in the way of people's trying to achieve moderate prosperity.

Lishui became a prefecture-level city in 2000. The city has been adhering to green development for 20 years, and has established a preliminary modern system of "ecological economy and economic ecology".

Green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable are the principles of Lishui's industrial development. Over the past 20 years, the city's industrial system has transformed from single traditional labor-intensive industries to a system in which multiple industrial forms coexist.

Lishui has been following the "Two Mountains" theory – lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets – since the idea was brought up in 2005. The city continues to develop ecological tourism as its first strategic pillar industry, making the culture and tourism industry the largest economic increment in Lishui.

In 2009, Lishui was awarded the title of "Outstanding Tourist City in China". In 2011, the city was named an "International Leisure and Health City". And in 2013, it became the first prefecture-level city in the country to win the title of "Longevity Town in China".

Lishui continues to deepen agricultural supply-side structural reform, and comprehensively promote the establishment of Zhejiang (Lishui) Agricultural Green Development Pilot Demonstration Zone.

In 2019, the city had nine leading industries, namely edible fungi, tea, fruit, vegetable, medicine, animal husbandry, camellia oleifera, bamboo shoots and fishery, with the output value reaching 12.23 billion yuan ($1.75 billion).