Anji County is located in the northwestern part of Zhejiang Province, at the geographical center of the Yangtze River Delta. It is the source of the Huangpu River in Shanghai. The county was established in 185 AD, and its name is derived from the line “Peace and good fortune” in the *Book of Songs*. It is also the hometown of the renowned artist Wu Changshuo.The county covers an area of 1,886 square kilometers, characterized by a landscape of “seven parts mountains, one part water, and two parts farmland.” It comprises 8 towns, 3 townships, and 4 subdistricts, with a total of 217 villages (communities) and a permanent population of 605,000. The county is home to one national-level nature reserve, one national-level and one provincial-level tourist resort, one national-level agricultural science and technology park, and one provincial-level economic development zone.By 2025, the county’s GDP is projected to reach 71.06 billion yuan, with the total industrial output value of enterprises above designated size reaching 124.25 billion yuan. Per capita disposable income for urban and rural residents is expected to reach 77,972 yuan and 51,180 yuan, respectively, narrowing the income disparity ratio to 1.50.
Anji is the birthplace of the “Two Mountains” philosophy. On August 15, 2005, Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, first proposed the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” in Yucun, Anji.Over the years, Anji County has consistently heeded General Secretary Xi Jinping’s earnest exhortations, advancing the integrated management of water, soil, air, and waste, and actively exploring pathways to convert ecological value. It has been hailed as the “Land of Three Purities” (pure soil, pure water, and pure air), becoming successively the nation’s first Ecological County, the first county to receive the United Nations Habitat Award, and the first county to be named a United Nations City of Biodiversity. It has achieved a transformation from a county founded on ecology to a county strengthened by ecology.In 2023, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress designated August 15 as National Ecology Day, elevating Anji’s “good days” to a “major national event.”
Anji is the birthplace of the Beautiful Rural Villages initiative. Under the guidance of the “Ten Million Project,” Anji County pioneered the “Beautiful Rural Villages of China” initiative in 2008, achieving full coverage across all administrative villages. It has been successively recognized as one of China’s Top 100 Most Beautiful Rural Counties, a National Civilized City, and a National Pioneer Zone for Beautiful Rural Villages. Anji County’s *Guidelines for Beautiful Rural Village Construction* has been elevated to a national standard.In recent years, Anji County has vigorously implemented the Rural Capability Enhancement Initiative, continuously improving infrastructure such as water, electricity, gas, and internet access. It has strategically distributed lifestyle amenities—including coffee shops, bars, and shared dining halls—across the entire region, ensuring that rural hardware and software are on par with urban standards and aligned with the future. New industries such as skiing, paragliding, sports events, music festivals, rock climbing, and archery have flourished, and all villages now achieve collective operating income of 1 million yuan.On March 30, 2020, during his inspection tour of Anji, General Secretary Xi Jinping remarked, “The vision of a ‘Beautiful Rural China’ has truly been realized here.”
Anji is a pioneer in green development. Leveraging its favorable ecological environment and geographical advantages, Anji County took the lead in launching the construction of the Tianhuangping Pumped-Storage Power Station in the 1990s. It now boasts two world-class pumped-storage power stations, marking the beginning of its green development journey.Over the years, Anji has thoroughly implemented the concept of green development, gradually fostering green industrial clusters in furniture, bamboo, tea, tourism, as well as biomedicine, equipment manufacturing, electronic information, and new materials. The ratio of the three primary industries stands at 5.1:46.7:48.2.Anji White Tea has ranked among the top ten regional public tea brands in China for 16 consecutive years; the furniture industry accounts for one-third of the domestic market and half of the nation’s exports; the county has topped the list of China’s Top 100 Counties for Comprehensive Tourism Strength for seven consecutive years; and it has been selected as one of China’s Top 100 Counties for Green Development, Top 100 Counties for Industry, and Top 100 Counties for Innovation.
Anji is the top choice for young people returning to rural areas.Anji County has thoroughly implemented the “Youth Innovation Revitalization” strategy, released the nation’s first “Guidelines for Youth Rural Development,” systematically established a comprehensive talent support system, and established the country’s first county-level cooperation pilot with Xiaohongshu. It has innovatively introduced talent attraction and cultivation models such as Global Partners, Digital Nomads, and the Youth Innovation Academy, successfully creating the nation’s first “Xiaohong Village,” Digital Nomad Commune, and Youth Talent Community. Since 2022, the county has attracted a cumulative total of 51,000 young college graduates and launched over 1,000 youth entrepreneurship projects, including the Deep Blue Plan,"Deep Blue Plan," "Waterfall Coffee," and "Xiaohangkeng Camp," among others. The county’s efforts to attract young people to rural areas have received two commendations from Premier Li Qiang, and the "Anji Model" has been officially promoted by the provincial Party committee and provincial government.