"Crystal waters flow from Xin'an, winding a thousand turns down to Qiantang." As China's first pilot project for cross-provincial ecological compensation mechanisms, the Xin'an River Basin Ecological Compensation Mechanism has now entered its phase of establishing the "Joint Protection Cooperation Zone for the Ecological Environment of Xin'an River–Qiandao Lake."

The "Construction Plan for the Joint Protection Cooperation Zone for the Ecological Environment of Xin'an River–Qiandao Lake (2023–2027)", released in 2023, included Xuancheng City within this cooperation zone. Building on Jixi County's pioneering role—where it was among the first to be incorporated into the Xin'an River ecological protection compensation program—Xuancheng City has deeply involved in developing the zone. It has been leveraging local experiences with ecological protection compensation to advance from joint basin governance towards industrial collaboration and shared public welfare benefits. 

A river of clear water represents not only an ecological baseline but also a vital source for achieving common prosperity. 

In 2020, seven companies from Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City, relocated collectively to Jixi County and jointly invested in building a precision manufacturing industrial park—a remarkable success story of "attracting large projects through small initiatives" in local attracting business efforts. Covering an area of 57.4 mu, with total investments exceeding 500 million yuan, this mechanical manufacturing complex stands as a microcosm of industrial synergy between Jixi and Hangzhou.

The vibrant growth of this industrial park is rooted in the foundational cooperation between Anhui and Zhejiang provinces to jointly protect their shared river waters. Following the official release of "The Construction Plan for the Joint Protection Cooperation Zone for the Ecological Environment of Xin'an River–Qiandao Lake (2023–2027)", both provinces have transitioned from merely safeguarding clean waterways to pursuing deeper levels of collaborative development.  

On the track of industrial linkage, Jixi County has anchored its focus on four leading industries: new energy, deep processing of food and pharmaceutical products, electrical equipment, and equipment manufacturing. It is committed to cultivating a provincial-level specialty cluster centered on high-end metal new materials while guiding traditional sectors toward advanced manufacturing transformation. Simultaneously, the county actively explores an "ecology plus" development model, advancing three parallel paths: "ecology + agriculture," "ecology + industry," and "ecology + cultural tourism."

Today, e-commerce incubation and supporting service platforms like the Hangzhou–Jixi Digital Industrial Park and Yangtze River Delta Green Food Industrial Park operate maturely, empowering the green food industry with digital wings.   

In Guangde City, the crystalline waters of Lucun Township have also brought generous "industrial dividends." Under cross-regional ecological protection collaboration mechanisms, Shanghai and Anhui are accelerating construction of the Yangtze River Delta (Guangde) Health and Wellness Base. Through coordinated efforts among "one core area and six counties," they promote synergies across "ecology + agriculture, tourism, and sports events."

Within these practical scenarios, ecological compensation has long transcended mere numerical transfers. As surging river currents transform simultaneously into tradable water rights tokens and vital ecological capital nurturing entire regions, China's model for preserving lucid waters and lush mountains unfolds in unprecedented ways, blossoming into a vibrant tapestry of diversified coexistence and development. 

Source: Anhui Daily