Hushan village now boasts not only a pristine natural environment, but also a dynamic and  developing digital economy. [Photo/WeChat account: SC-News]

Feng Zhentao, who has worked as a digital software developer for three years, never thought he would one day work in a village before his company moved to Hushan village. But that's where it's happening and Feng is excited.

Hushan, a small village administered by Suichang county in East China's Zhejiang province, is in the process of turning the concept of creating a "future village" into reality.

Future communities in urban areas and future villages in rural areas are innovative residential clusters which pursue an eco-friendly and digitalized rural lifestyle. Zhejiang province is a pioneer in the concept.

In July 2020, Ali Cloud joined hands with Suichang county to jointly build the "Tiangong City – Digital Green Valley". From that point Hushan village, as the core area of the project, began its transformation.

To date, 606 business entities – mainly digital enterprises – have registered in Tiangong City, with a total investment of nearly 8 billion yuan ($1.24 billion) and more than 1.4 billion yuan has been spent.

With more and more digital enterprises settling in Hushan, the village is now upgrading its services, which has brought a great deal of convenience to local villagers.

"Now you can apply for medical insurance reimbursements right in the village, which is much more convenient than the past," said villager Zhu Qiumei.

The flow of people brought by the enterprises has also led to more business opportunities for locals.

According to preliminary statistics, the construction of Tiangong City – directly or indirectly – led more than 80 households in Hushan village to start up businesses, including in homestays and in agritainment.