Anji County in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang has taken advantage of its natural beauty in recent years, attracting young talents in across professional fields through rural-urban integration projects.
Back in August 2005, Anji became the first place where Chinese President Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Provincial Communist Party Committee of Zhejiang, put forward the idea that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."
Anji is known for its immense bamboo forests and white tea, and it is the ideal tourist destination for people who want to enjoy the countryside. As a pioneering area of green development, it's now exploring ways to balance the environment with a healthy economy.
Currently, Anji is building the Liangshan Future Science and Technology Town by developing new economic industries in the digital economy. The project has gathered 17 enterprises involved in new industries such as the metaverse, digital healthcare and multi-channel network institutions.
"We used to associate Anji with tourism and came here to relax. I never thought one day I'd come to work here. I came with doubt but found out there are employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. The environment is especially suitable for young people. The new digital industry is also starting to rise," said Liu Hai, head of teaching product development of FlowingCloud Technology, a new tech company in Anji.
For Anji, supporting young people, who have become crucial developing the countryside, is one of its most important initiatives. As the birthplace of the President Xi's pioneering environmental concept, the village of Yucun in Anji has adopted a series of projects to find new solutions for rural revitalization and urban-rural integration, including Digital Nomad Yucun, a project providing workplaces and platforms for development for young talents in the digital field.
"There are lots of idle fixed assets in many rural areas, and young people are leaving. These two situations are occurring at the same time. We use this approach to attract young people to the village by transforming existing unused assets and promoting the formation of an eco-community, which solves both the problem of unused assets and the problem of attracting young people," said Xu Song, founder of Digital Nomad Yucun.
"I really like it here for several reasons. The most important reason is that the village is beautiful, and it encourages me to go outside for activities like long-distance walking, hiking or cycling. It provides me with a very good lifestyle here, as I can balance my work and life balance. Since working here, I have improved my work efficiency," said Gao Yiwei, a UI/UX designer working at Digital Nomad Yucun.
Since July 2022, when Yucun first launched the Global Partner Program, more than 50 projects have been launched, and more than 1,000 new arrivals have brought resources, funds, teams and technology with them to settle here. Increased incomes have boosted the village’s economy, contributing to rural revitalization and providing more employment opportunities for locals.
"In September this year, we will hold the third Dream Conference to open a new round of recruitment for global partners. We will focus on three of the main industries of Anji including the digital economy, experiencing tourism, and efficient agriculture. And we hope there are more young people to come to the countryside, to take part in co-creative and co-beneficial projects," said Gao Wenwen, general manager of Anji's green village operation and management project.
The village has also enjoyed a remarkable increase of tourists, especially young visitors, driving lucrative new coffee businesses in Anji. More than 400 cafes have opened in the county. Some of the more unique options have also attracted fame online and in-person.
Since 2023, Anji has made the recruitment of 100,000 university graduates a priority, and is providing corresponding policy support.
Mountainous village in East China attracts young talents through rural-urban integration projects
