The launch ceremony for the national pilot construction of the ecological product value realization mechanism was held in Lishui City. The “International City Carbon Neutrality Index (Lishui Index)” was released at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Xi Tou Village in Longquan City was selected as one of the “World’s Best Tourism Villages”... From November to December 2024, good news from Lishui came from all directions.

Lishui has been steadfast in its long-term vision, with each administration building on the achievements of its predecessor. Accelerating the construction of the most beautiful core area of the “Poetic and Picturesque Zhejiang” Grand Garden, the city is committed to enhancing its overall beauty. The picturesque mountains and waters of Lishui are continuously improving their regional appearance, and the vision of a “green development benchmark and a vibrant city of beautiful mountains and waters” is gradually taking shape both in form and spirit.

In the past year, Lishui has been committed to protecting the beautiful ecology of the Grand Garden with the highest standards. It was the first city in the province to establish a Municipal Ecological Civilization Committee and held a high-level conference on ecological civilization construction. The city systematically advanced the construction of the most beautiful core area of the Grand Garden and a series of reforms in the field of ecological civilization. It also integrated efforts to combat air, water, soil, and waste pollution, continuously improving the quality and stability of the ecosystem.

The air and water quality of Lishui City rank among the top in the country. Its ecological environment status index has led the province for 20 consecutive years, and public satisfaction with the ecological environment has been among the top in the province for 17 consecutive years. Sixteen new global species, including the female tree frog, have been discovered (a total of 45 species), and the biodiversity friendliness index has ranked first in the province for two consecutive years. Lishui has been selected as one of the first national pilot cities for deepening climate adaptation and a charming city for biodiversity by the United Nations. It has also won the “Great Yu Tripod -- Golden Tripod” for “Five Waters Joint Governance” once again.

Conducting quality enhancement initiatives to create a new pattern of beauty across the entire region. In the past year, Lishui has continued to enhance the quality and appearance of the core area of the Grand Garden. Focusing on the shortcomings of three key areas—peripheries of scenic spots, areas around transportation arteries, and urban-rural fringe areas—the city has deeply implemented a special action plan to improve the quality of the Grand Garden. This initiative follows the principles of “cleanliness, tidiness, naturalness, and scenic beauty”, forming a new pattern of beauty across the entire region.

The Qingtian Rice-Fish Co-Culture System project was selected as an outstanding case in the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Action Plan. The first phase of the cultural industry park in the Penal Colony Scenic Area in Liandu district, the Art Center of Penal Colony Scenic Area, and a number of other projects have been completed or put into operation. The Longquan Sword Museum has also opened to the public. Across the region, Lishui’s garden villages and garden courtyards shine brightly at individual points, form beautiful scenes along lines, and create an overall beautiful landscape. A total of 9 landmark projects for the Grand Garden have been planned across the region, with 163 projects implemented and an investment of 5.342 billion yuan completed. Ten garden-style scenic belts have been created, with 59 projects implemented and an investment of 263 million yuan completed.

Moreover, through the infrastructure improvement project for the Grand Garden, Lishui has added 967 public charging guns, including 246 in rural areas. It has also built or renovated 42 urban parks and completed 15 urban reading rooms.

In Jianchuan Village, Xinjian Town, Jingyun County, the space under an elevated bridge has been transformed into a basketball court frequented by villagers. In the night market of Chishi Village, Chishi Township, Yunhe County, bright lights attract visitors from all over the country. Small yet exquisite pocket parks have been exhibited in urban corners, becoming new windows to showcase the concept of ecological civilization. The Lishui Sanjiangkou Outdoor Sports Park has become the best venue for themed activities such as family picnics, cycling, yoga, and racewalking for citizens.

Major scenic areas have achieved green development, creating unique tourist destinations. Yunhe Terrace has been successfully upgraded to a 5A-level scenic area. Jinyun Xianju Scenic Area, Yunhe Terrace, and Penal Colony Scenic Area in Liandu district have been selected as provincial core scenic areas with an annual visitor capacity of tens of millions. Xi Tou Village in Longquan City has been selected as one of the world’s “Best Tourism Villages”, and the Xidu Line has been named one of the ten most beautiful rural roads in China. The “She Ethnic Charm and Tea Fragrance Cultural Tour” in Jingning County has been selected as one of the ten most beautiful tea country tours in China.

Lishui City has also promoted rural revitalization through art, deepened the “Save Old Houses” initiative, revitalized ancient towns and villages, and enhanced the village evening party brand. It has created 35 model villages for artistic rural construction, continuously polished 100 garden villages, and built 210 high-quality garden courtyards. The Lishui City Museum has been accredited as a national first-class museum, and the traditional craftsmanship of Chinese wooden arch bridges, jointly declared by Qingyuan County and others, has been included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In addition, Lishui has promoted urban-rural integration through three key actions for beautiful rural construction: rural housing renovation, pipeline regularization, and rural road improvement, creating an upgraded version of the “Thousand and Ten Thousand Project”.

Lishui has developed Version 2.0 of the Ecological Product Value Realization Mechanism to broaden the conversion pathway of “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”. The city has once again been listed as a pilot city for the new round of national ecological product value realization mechanism reform and successfully hosted the national work promotion meeting on improving the ecological product value realization mechanism and the launch ceremony for the first batch of national pilot construction projects.

At the meeting, people discussed the “Lishui experience”: The “Shan (Mountain) Series” brand has been continuously enhanced, with "Lishui Shangeng” announcing 956 authorized products. “Lishui Shanquan” won the “Gold Award for High-Quality Natural Mineral Water Product” with annual sales of 40 million yuan. The “Two Mountains Cooperative” has cumulatively stored 2,123 ecological resources, and the transaction volume on the Zhejiang (Lishui) Ecological Product Trading Platform reached 4.886 billion yuan, promoting the transformation of ecological resources into ecological assets and broadening the industrial, market, and project-based realization paths for ecological product value. For many years, Lishui has been integrating and advancing reforms in the development of ecological products in specific regional units, ecological asset evaluation and transactions, and green finance, and has carried out innovative practices such as “National Park+” and “Agricultural Heritage+”.

In the future, Lishui will continue to strengthen the coordinated development of points, lines, and areas. It will enhance the management of key urban areas and the Ou River landscape, implement a number of high-profile and people-oriented landmark projects in a district-based manner, and meticulously create a “Lishui Shanju Painting” where mountains, waters, and human culture shine together.