The road to ecological prosperity continuing to widen for Yucun village in Zhejiang

In the 1980s and 1990s, local residents in Yucun village in Zhejiang province relied on mining and cement manufacturing to become better off. However, the price they paid was foul air, tainted waters, and mountains shrouded in dust. After 2003, Yucun began to shutter its mines and cement plants, and took the lead in developing a beautiful countryside. Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. For over a decade, the people of Yucun have put this concept into practice. They have followed a sustainable development path, which features a beautiful environment, thriving businesses, and prosperity for ordinary people.

The narrow village roads of the past have been replaced by broad and smooth avenues. The old cement plant has been dismantled, and its grounds resown as colorful fields and gardens. Over 33 hectares of leased land have been turned into rapeseed fields and lotus ponds based on designs for the village. Yucun has also gradually developed a leisure tourism industry chain, based on outdoor adventure programs, mountaineering and fishing, fruit and vegetable picking, and many other activities of agritourism. Today, Yucun is no longer a quarry-based economy but an ecology-based one. It has transformed from a polluted village into a National 4A-Rated Scenic Area, a National Model Village for Beauty and Livability, and one of the World Tourism Organization's Best Tourism Villages.