In northern Zhejiang, Anji is an ecological county with strong development features. The county owns 1886 square kilometers in size, with a permanent population of 595,000 in 2021, an urban population of 363,000, and an urbanization rate of 61%. It was founded in 185 AD and was called after the meaning of "peace and auspiciousness" in the Book of Songs. It has authority over eight towns, three townships, four sub-districts, and one provincial-level economic development zone. Anji is the only county winning UN Habitat Scroll of Honour, China’s first ecological county and one of the nation’s first pilot areas of ecological civilization construction. It also has a reputation as China's first bamboo town, China’s home of chair and China’s capital of bamboo flooring. Anji is rated as the National Civilized County and National Hygiene County. Meanwhile; it is the Sustainable Development Experimental Zone and one of the nation’s first demonstration counties of leisure agriculture and rural tourism.

Anji, with obvious regional advantage, lies in the geometric center of Yangtze River Delta Economic Circle, forming the prominent northwest node of the Urban Economic Circle of Hangzhou, which makes Anji a compact city in the two major economic circle. Presently, Anji has respectively formed a 3-hour and 1-hour traffic circle with Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou, Huzhou and other surrounding large and medium-sized cities. With the Hangzhou-Changxing Expressway fully open to traffic, Anji has formed a fast transportation network, to Hangzhou or Huzhou in 30 minutes, to Shanghai or Nanjing in 90 minutes. In 2015, two large projects, Shang-He-Hang High-speed Railway and the west extension project of Shen-Jia-Hu Expressway  set about constructing that symbolized the open of “the Era of Two High” in our county. Now, the Intercity Rail Transit Project towards Hangzhou has been brought into the transportation development of Zhejiang Province and Hangzhou City. By the time of its completion, far across distance between Anji and Hangzhou will be further shortened, truly realizing the goal of co-developing with Hangzhou City.

The beautiful countryside has a profound impact. Since 2008, Anji has been comprehensively carrying out the construction of "Beautiful Countryside in China", striving to create a demonstration area for the construction of new rural areas in the Yangtze River Delta, and exploring characteristic models for rural ecological civilization construction. At present, 164 "Beautiful Rural Boutique Villages" have been built, including 21 "Boutique Demonstration Villages" that have been built or are under construction. 12 townships (streets) have achieved full coverage, with a total coverage of 95.7%, presenting a grand pattern of one village, one product, one charm, and one scenery.The Beautiful Countryside of China has become the third national brand of Anji County after it earned two national honors as the first bamboo town and the first ecological county in China. It has become the pilot project of national ecological conservation, the brand project of provincial new rural construction and the livelihood project co-shared as well as co-constructed by people throughout Anji County. In 2015, Anji held a series of celebration activities for the 10th anniversary of “Two Mountains Theory”, showing that the beautiful countryside construction of Anji has reached a new level. In the same year, “Guide for the Construction of Beautiful Countryside”, which was primarily made by Anji County, was launched in Beijing, marking that the mode of Anji has been upgraded into a national standard from a provincial-level standard.

 Three integrated industrial development. Anji has embarked on a path of economy-based ecology and ecology-based economy. The primary industry of Anji accelerates “the integration with secondary and tertiary industry”. In accordance with the development goals of efficient ecological quality smart agriculture, Anji accelerates the construction of agricultural “two zones”, striving to develop ecological recycling and leisure agriculture, continuously improving the development of white tea, bamboo shoots and sericulture. A breakthrough is that “Anji White Tea” has become the first green tea brand listed in the East China Forestry Exchange.Accelerate the realization of the goal of turning "products into gifts, parks into scenic spots, farmers into shareholders." Transformation and upgrading of secondary industries were accelerated. Anji County will adhere to ecological and environmental protection, vigorously develop emerging industries such as equipment manufacturing, green food, and electronic information, and transform and upgrade the two traditional industries of bamboo and chair. The comprehensive strength of bamboo economy ranks first in the country, launching the regional brand of "Green Floor and Anji Standard".The chair industry accounts for one-third of the domestic market and half of the national chair export volume, thus becoming a provincial modern industry cluster transformation and upgrading demonstration zone. The tertiary industry is accelerating its high-end upgrading. Anji County is working hard to become the Yangtze River Delta's premier rural leisure tourist destination as well as the first batch of the province's tourism economic comprehensive reform pilot demonstration counties.The first world-famous brand park on the Chinese mainland, Kitty Home Park, the greatest water part in Asia, Joyful Storm Water Park, and the Zhejiang provincial businessmen returning tourism integrated project, “Lunar New Year's Day” Scenic Town opened one after another. Based on the construction of beautiful countryside, rural tourism revival. The special tourist sites have attracted a large number of people, like astronomical observation, alpine skiing, visiting pandas in bamboo sea, movies and televisions regarding ecology.

Deep-rooted and Profound Cultural Connotation. Originated in the source of the Huangpu River, West Tiao-river gave birth to the mysterious ancient Yue civilization，forming the important activity places of the ancient Yue and the site place of ancient Zhang County, one of the 36 counties of Qin. Shangmakan Site has endowed Anji with unique cultural symbols and become "the first archaeological point of Paleolithic culture sites in Zhejiang". The thousand-year-old Lingfeng Temple is known as the sister temple of the Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou.Over the centuries, Anji has been the birthplace of many celebrities such as Wu Jun, a writer from the Southern Liang Dynasty, Zhu Ran, a general of the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, Wu Changshuo, a master of modern and contemporary art, Chen Rong, a famous forester, and Zhu Lesan, an outstanding painter. Under the influence of a rich history, Anji has formed an inclusive and innovative Changshuo Culture, a humble and striving Bamboo Culture, the efficient and mission-oriented postal culture as well as the harmonious Filial Piety Culture that supports the poor and helps the needy, and a pioneering and innovative culture formed in the bamboo and chair industries.

Happy livelihood and social harmony. Anji County is one of the most suitable areas for business startups and habitation throughout Zhejiang Province and even among our country. The county creatively established the “Anji Happiness Index Evaluation System”, taking the lead in quantifying and improving the county's sense of well-being. More than 60% of the county's financial expenditure goes to the cause of social and people’s livelihood; social security, social assistance and welfare systems have been improved further. Anji succeeded in attracting the Chinese-German Institute of Engineering at Zhejiang University of Science and Technology (ZUST), which is the first full-time public undergraduate university in the counties and districts of Huzhou City. The county is home to the largest and most extensive clusters of ecological museums throughout the country. The provincial and local cooperative medical service is achieved. Anji County is also awarded as a national county with balanced compulsory education. It owns the most distinctive county-level sports center and fully functional social welfare center throughout Zhejiang Province. All in all, it has become one of the regions with higher social harmony in Zhejiang Province and even among the whole country.

    After 15 years, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Anji again in person on March 30, 2020, fully affirming its development of Anji, making important instructions for the county to accelerate high-quality green development and promote the modernization of grassroots governance. The whole Anji County will hold high the great banner of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply learning and implementing Xi Jinping’s instructions in inspecting Anji. Under the firm leadership of the central and provincial and municipal party committees, Anji County will unswervingly move forward along the road guided by the "Two Mountains" concept, making every effort to build Zhejiang (Anji) county in the new era. Simultaneously, Anji will continue to practice the "two mountains" concept to comprehensively reform the innovation pilot zone, striving for new victories in the high-quality development of China’s most beautiful county, as well as making effort to create a county window that showcases beautiful China!