Does Beautiful Scenery Equal a Bright Future? A Story of a Small Town That Raises Deep Thoughts
China has a long history, vast territory and abundant resources, and many beautiful landscapes. However, under the influence of the economic boom, people have been trying to transform nature, hoping for a bright future, but in reality, this hasn’t always been the case.
Sanya is a place of exceptional scenery. Utilizing its unique natural environment, the real estate industry experienced 'wild growth', with average prices plummeting nearly 'halved' in just four years starting from 2011. Similarly, the Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area, once hyped as a ‘cliff elevator,’ was criticized for damaging the area’s integrity and causing irreparable ecological damage. Nevertheless, there are positive examples of people who revere nature and adapt to it, using nature to create enormous wealth.
In 2012, a young man from Shandong was deeply attracted by the natural beauty of Pubei Port Town. It boasts ‘Golden Coast’ beaches, the ‘Chinese Museum’ of Datongshan Island, and Xianyan Cave and Hidden Dragon Mountain, with fresh air and beautiful scenery. Each deep breath felt refreshing. He decided to stay and start a business. With the help of the town government and the agricultural research institute, he contracted 200 acres of tidal flats for the aquaculture of green crabs and small white shrimp, and, utilizing the town’s climate and geographical advantages, he successively established cultivation of watermelon, citrus fruits, melons, and grapes. His success not only boosted the development of local agricultural products but also increased government tax revenue. Although this successful entrepreneurship appeared to be accidental, it contained many inevitable factors.
Pubei Port Town is the largest township in Zhejiang Province, with an area of 265 square kilometers. It is rich in natural resources, has a long history and culture, and its location is unique, situated at the intersection of the Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone and the WenTai region. In order to establish key nodes, Pubei Port Town invested heavily in the ‘two vertical, six horizontal’ three-dimensional transportation system. The completion of Donghai Fishing Port played a significant boost to the fishing boat operations and coastal trade. The improvement of the basic infrastructure will drive the development of the real economy, and the town government insists on a dual-drive strategy of agriculture and industry, vigorously developing the construction of industrial parks, forming an industrial development blueprint with six main pillar industries: machinery & electrical appliances, auto & motorcycle accessories, sanitary ware, shipbuilding, footwear and leisure products. There have been many successful examples of entrepreneurs and business elites in this context. The machinery & electrical products and auto & motorcycle accessories have broken into overseas markets, with products exported to Europe, the United States, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. As of 2019, the per capita income in Pubei Port Town ranked among the top in the country.
The market is the battlefield; retreat, and you will be defeated. In order to further expand the industrial structure and improve the development system, Pubei Port Town launched a vigorous attraction model. Continuing to improve basic engineering construction, optimizing corporate development policies, and upgrading all public service facilities to welcome more enterprises and investors. In Pubei Port Town, beautiful scenery has become a good prospect. Here, people understand how to treat nature and adapt to it, using the blessings bestowed by nature to return to society and the country. As Pubei Port Town Mayor Huang Fuwei said: ‘Only by obeying nature can you master it, and the town’s development is closely linked to nature. A beautiful environment is the foundation for the generation of all talent, all beautiful things and all beautiful homes. This is Pubei Port Town’s eternal belief.’
