"First crouch down, then leap up." This common saying encapsulates the transformative journey of a county. As one of Zhejiang's first "industrial output trillion-yuan counties," Fuyang once produced half of China's white cardboard, influencing global paper prices, yet it was also plagued by environmental concerns. Beginning paper industry rectification in 2005 and completely "clearing the cage for a new bird" by 2016, Fuyang voluntarily left the "paper era" behind. Through systematic reshaping of its industry, environment, and culture, it embarked on a green, low-carbon path to high-quality development. In the first half of this year, Fuyang's GDP grew 5.6% year-on-year, surpassing the Hangzhou city average for the second consecutive year. How was the pain of this "heroic sacrifice" resolved? Where did the energy for "phoenix-like rebirth" come from? Recently, our reporter visited Fuyang to explore its dynamic transformation.
Heroic Sacrifice, Industrial Renewal
In a spotless, 200-meter-deep factory floor, fully automated etching, thinning, and ion implantation machines operate with precision, completing nanoscale processing in milliseconds. This was the scene at the first phase of the Hangzhou Fuxin Semiconductor Project in Lingqiao Town. Lingqiao was once a hub for Fuyang's traditional paper industry, with nearly 200 paper mills, leading to severe environmental issues. "Starting in 2005, we first consolidated small and medium paper mills, until 2016 when we resolved to completely 'clear the cage,'" said Qian Guobiao, Deputy Director of the Fuyang District Development and Reform Bureau. Statistics show that Fuyang has phased out over 1,000 paper-related enterprises, removed over 500 smokestacks, and cut production capacity by over 7 million tons. With the last three large smokestacks along the Fuchun River toppling in late 2019, Fuyang sacrificed one-third of its industrial output and 50% of its fiscal revenue to gain 22,000 mu of clean industrial land, along with hope for industrial transformation. "Fuyang has a strategic location connecting east and west, ample industrial space, and supporting facilities and talent. It became an ideal place for industrializing scientific achievements," said Cao Zhenyu, Executive Deputy Director of the Fuyang District Reform Office. The "heroic sacrifice" fundamentally changed the county's industrial landscape, allowing Fuyang to move forward with a lighter load. In October 2019, the 40-billion-yuan Fuxin project established a base in Fuyang, filling a gap in Zhejiang's 12-inch wafer manufacturing and nurturing a complete supply chain in the region. This year, Fuyang's integrated circuit output is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan. Major projects like Hangzhou Zhongtai, Zhejiang Chuangxing, and Xin Yun Hai have all landed. Over the past five years, Fuyang's manufacturing investment has totaled 50 billion yuan. Three figures reflect the qualitative change after the "heroic sacrifice": during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Fuyang saw 243 industrial projects, over 300 provincial-level specialized and new enterprises, and R&D spending as a percentage of GDP rose from 2.88% to 3.52%. If "heroic sacrifice" was about dismantling barriers, then innovation-driven development is the guiding light. New research institutes like the Hangzhou Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, the Westlake University Photonics Research Institute, and the Zhejiang University of Technology Fuyang Institute have been established, channeling lab results directly to production lines. Last year, the output growth rate of Fuyang's advanced manufacturing cluster reached 14.9%. "Pain was unavoidable, and we faced economic pressures multiple times," said Shen Xiaoliang, Deputy Director of the Fuyang District Science and Technology Bureau. But the people of Fuyang believe that the path of innovation-driven and industry-strengthened development is the right one.
Ecological Transformation, Unlocking the 'Two Mountains' Path
In midsummer, near the confluence of Dayuan Creek and the Fuchun River, a thousand-mu rice field is bustling with activity. "We opened in August last year and had 100,000 visitors in three months. This year, we expect around 300,000," said Lu Weiqiang, head of the rural complex "Fuchun Sansanye." This spot, known as Hangzhou's version of "Xizhou Wheat Field," was a waste dump for paper materials a decade ago. "Deinking agents and bleaching powder were discharged directly into the creek. The smell was unbearable, even for locals," recalled Wang Yijie, a villager from Jiangfeng Village. The "heroic sacrifice" cut off the root of pollution. After closing hundreds of paper mills along the creek, the Dayuan Creek watershed underwent ecological restoration, including dredging and cultivating purifying plants like reeds and calamus. Today, the creek's water quality is generally Class III, with upstream areas reaching Class II or above, and native fish like crucian carp and whitebait have returned. "We don't want black GDP; we want clear waters and green mountains," said Xie Liming, Director of the Hangzhou Ecological Environment Bureau Fuyang Branch. Fuyang not only phased out the paper industry but also broke old development mindsets. "A clean slate means no turning back. We must fight to win." Starting in 2015, Fuyang piloted a "township ecological environment status report system" in Luzhu Town and Yushan Township, which was later promoted province-wide. As a provincial pilot, it built a "Zhejiang Clean Soil" digital management platform, adding a digital touch to the "Zero-Waste City" initiative. In the past decade, Fuyang has repaired or prevented 652 environmental issues based on public feedback. The Fuchun River's main stream water quality at the cross-section has remained excellent for 11 consecutive years, and PM2.5 concentrations in the district have dropped 32.6% over nine years. Today, the 35-kilometer-long Huyuan Creek has become a top summer destination in Hangzhou, linking over 200 guesthouses and farm stays into a "rural common prosperity circle." The three "internet-famous villages" of Wencun, Dongziguan, and Langwu have gained nationwide fame. Last year, Fuyang achieved 15.1 billion yuan in tourism revenue. The "flow" from green mountains and clear waters has truly transformed into "retention" for a better life.
Preserving Paper Culture
At the Yuanshu Paper Culture Exhibition Hall in Xincun Village, Huyuan Township, 57-year-old bamboo papermaking inheritor Li Wende is demonstrating the "net lifting" technique. Using a net made of fine bamboo strips, he gently dips it into the pulp, lifting it to form a thin, even sheet of wet paper. Behind him, visitors marvel. Li told the reporter that since the beginning of this year, the hall, nestled in a mountain valley, has been receiving a steady stream of visitors. Fuyang's paper culture, once renowned as "the top paper from the capital, ten pieces of Yuanshu paper for imperial exams," is now even more precious. However, this tradition was nearly lost a decade ago when Huyuan Township closed over 260 small paper workshops, sparking a debate. "Everyone asked, with the factories shut down, should we abandon the ancestral craft?" said Li Qifang, a former village official in Xincun Village for a decade. After hundreds of meetings, a consensus gradually emerged: industries needed to be phased out, but culture must be preserved. Through consolidation and relocation, Huyuan brought three representative paper workshops into an industrial park, including Li's "Dazhuyuan Paper Workshop." The government also built the 15,000-square-meter exhibition hall in Xincun, becoming another window to showcase Fuyang's paper culture. In Dayuan Town, Yuanshu paper inheritor Zhu Zhonghua and his apprentices are busy filming a documentary on bamboo papermaking techniques. These precious texts and images will be housed in the town's upcoming Bamboo Paper Museum. "The 72 steps of bamboo papermaking are all interconnected, and each must be timed to the second," Zhu said. "Industries can be transformed, but paper culture is our 'root' and 'soul,' and it must be preserved," said Jiang Jianjun, Director of the Fuyang District CPPCC Cultural and Historical Committee. In recent years, activities like "Bamboo Paper Making Demonstrations," "Mountain Opening," and "Apprenticeship Ceremonies," along with cultural and creative exhibitions, have been held across Fuyang, preserving the roots while promoting the craft. Fuyang's bamboo paper and techniques have appeared in the restoration of the Forbidden City's Imperial Garden and the program for the Asian Games opening ceremony, becoming a shining symbol of Zhejiang's cultural depth and regional vitality. In the morning, the banks of the Fuchun River gradually awaken. In the Yuanshu paper experience area at Huang Gongwang's former residence, tourists gather to hear the story of "paper lasting a thousand years." Five kilometers away in Fuchunwan New City, a chip engineer on vacation drives to the Fuchun Mountain Museum, which has a permanent "Hometown of Papermaking" exhibit. In this land that has undergone a "heroic sacrifice," history and the future are intertwined in a remarkable symbiosis.
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