Zhejiang Wecome Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, based in Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province, was recently successfully listed on the ChiNext share market start-up board – in Shenzhen city in China's southern Guangdong province – which local officials said highlighted an important trend.

The ChiNext is China's Nasdaq-style equities market board of growth enterprises.

Officials said Wecome Pharmaceutical was the only modern Chinese medicine and Western medicine manufacturer to be listed on the board this time.

According to the head of the group, as a local medicine enterprise in Lishui, the company has been innovating and practicing the concept of green development for 20 years.

The company's listing was strong proof of the value to be had in the commercialization of the region's rich ecology, the company chief said.

Lishui has been dubbed the 'natural medicine garden' in southwestern Zhejiang province. There are as many as 2,344 kinds of Chinese medicinal plants and other sources in Lishui, accounting for 98 percent of those native to Zhejiang and 76 percent of those in East China.

Local officials said that using modern biomedical technology was an important way for Lishui to expand the commercialization of its ecological backyard.

Another local company – Lishui-based Benefit Pharmaceutical Co Ltd – mainly produces traditional Chinese medicine formula granules and TCM slices.

"Most good pharmaceutical companies in the world have set up their industries in places with an excellent environment. Lishui is very suitable for developing the health industry," said Wu Lihua, chairman of Benefit.

Lishui's rich Chinese medicinal resources provide a solid foundation for the development of the company, Wu added.

Many new platforms and projects in the health and medicine industry are being built in Lishui at present.

Officials said the city is well on its way to transforming its ecological advantages into development advantages for the health and medicine industry.