A revamped professional basketball arena is set to open soon,嘉兴’s largest integrated base for aquatic animals and precious amphibians is drawing crowds as a popular study tour destination, and a comprehensive water sports center will soon host kayaking and dragon boat activities. In Zhulin Village, Xinfeng Town, Nanhu District, the countryside is sprouting industries unlike its traditional agricultural past, with agri-cultural-tourism-sports projects delivering both scenic appeal and economic value.
In recent years, Nanhu District has deepened its implementation of the new-era “Ten Million Project”, painting a fresh picture of integrated urban-rural development. Cluster zones such as “Da Sanxing” and “Meihao Jianglai Xingfuli” are spurring progress across all villages, advancing integrated development of rural industries. Today, a growing number of emerging business models—including event-based economy, study tour economy, low-altitude economy, and pet economy—are taking root in Nanhu’s countryside, injecting fresh vitality into comprehensive rural revitalization.
Attracting projects and drawing visitors is key to deepening agri-cultural-tourism integration. “This year, our village is expected to add about 300,000 yuan in operating income,” says Chen Yunhua, Party Secretary of Zhulin Village, who is well-versed in the village’s industrial landscape. Over the past two years, the village has introduced projects such as an amphibian base, a basketball-themed dining venue, and a water sports center, making every effort to boost collective income. Once a renowned pig-farming village, Zhulin has shifted away from that model and is now building a path of integrated development grounded in modern agriculture and empowered by cultural tourism.
“The most crucial factor in developing agri-cultural-tourism is attracting foot traffic—when people come, industries can thrive,” Chen notes. The village has been working to draw visitors, and with the Feng-BA basketball arena now operational and the provincial “Village BA” finals on the horizon, another surge in visitors is expected. The goal is to capitalize on that momentum to spur new growth in the village’s agri-cultural-tourism sector. As a key village in the “Meihao Jianglai Xingfuli” cluster, Zhulin is targeting “sports + tourism” to introduce youth-oriented consumption scenarios. The water sports center, operated by a private company, will offer training in dragon boat and kayaking, host competitions, and support youth study programs. Meanwhile, the Feng-BA arena will run regular events and fitness and training sessions for the public. In April, Zhulin signed an agreement with Shidou Catering to renovate the former Zhulin Kindergarten site into a food-themed restaurant blending local flavors with sports and leisure. Chen says the village aims to build a mixed-use hub combining dining, the basketball arena, and scenic support services—turning idle assets into income generators and adding momentum to the “Meihao Jianglai Xingfuli” cluster.
Across Nanhu District, guided by cluster zones like “Da Sanxing” and “Meihao Jianglai Xingfuli”, villages such as Sanxing, Zhulin, and Puguang have been selected as provincial-level key villages. Agri-cultural-tourism integration is deepening, with projects embedding themselves in rural areas to bring together industries and visitors, nurturing fertile soil for thriving countryside development. This summer, the “Da Sanxing” cluster welcomed the opening of Haima Water Park, drawing residents eager to cool off. As a flagship summer tourism project for Sanxing Village in Fengqiao Town this year, the park combines water play, parent-child activities, and nighttime light shows, accommodating over 1,000 visitors at once. “We hope to use the water park to offset the summer lull at Taoqi Shenhou Forest Park and attract more tourists to beautiful Sanxing Village, supporting high-quality rural cultural tourism,” says a park representative. During the summer, daily visitor numbers ranged from 500 to 1,000, with many families coming specifically to enjoy the rural environment—effectively driving foot traffic, stimulating rural consumption, and boosting business at nearby venues.
According to the Nanhu District Agriculture and Water Affairs Bureau, the district has implemented 17 cluster zone projects with total investment of 340 million yuan. In the first half of this year, rural tourism visits reached 2.2545 million, up over 30% year-on-year, driving a 29.95% increase in collective operating income across 21 administrative villages in the four zones.
Strengthening industries to promote shared prosperity is fundamental to building a solid foundation for beautiful countryside. With projects in place and visitors arriving, how can “foot traffic” be converted into “staying power” and “popularity” into “revenue,” turning these into the core engine of rural revitalization? “We adhere to ‘one zone, one brand, differentiated clustering and mutual support’ to build a rural industrial system with complete chains and outstanding returns,” explains a bureau official. Nanhu has cultivated 156 diverse new rural business models, continuously invigorating rural operations and fostering shared prosperity, all aimed at constructing beautiful countryside marked by thriving industries, livable environments, and civilized rural culture.
In July, Xinfeng Town signed 11 projects covering specialties processing, brand operations, and cooperative wealth-building initiatives. For instance, a Xinfeng shaomai (steamed dumpling) processing and experience project, set to locate in Zhulin Village, plans a 5 million yuan investment to build a production base for food processing, sales, and brand display, along with a study-and-experience shop open to schools, communities, and the public. Rural revitalization hinges on industrial prosperity; the core of common prosperity lies in making farmers genuine participants and beneficiaries of industrial growth. Nanhu District is strengthening specialty industries, innovating benefit-linked mechanisms, and consolidating the foundation for thriving rural development.
In recent years, Nanhu has scientifically designated four beautiful countryside cluster zones—“Da Sanxing”, “Meihao Jianglai Xingfuli”, “Yuli Wentao”, and “Puyuan Gongfu”—radiating to support 21 villages in coordinated development. Clustering turns scattered villages into a connected chain. Centered on Sanxing Village in Fengqiao Town, the “Da Sanxing” zone links seven administrative villages across three towns—Fengqiao, Daqiao, and Yuxin—positioning it at the forefront of clustered growth. Last year, its development case was selected as one of Zhejiang Province’s “Eight Models” for rural cluster development. The zone has established a professional operating platform company, with seven villages participating through joint-venture equity, innovating a “rental income + dividend share + cash growth” multi-benefit linkage to boost village collectives’ self-sufficiency. Leveraging the platform for cross-village resource sharing and profit distribution, the 12 villages in Fengqiao Town posted operating income of 6.3319 million yuan in the first half of this year.
In Xinfeng Town, a joint venture called Jiaxing Zhulinli Tourism Development Co., Ltd., formed by township state assets, operating units, and village collectives, has adopted a tight benefit mechanism with village collectives holding 49% equity. It centrally operates the “Haojianglai” brand, cultivates sporting IP such as “Feng-BA” and village runs, and attracted 162,300 visitors in the first half of this year, generating tourism revenue of 34.8 million yuan. In industrial development, Nanhu breaks down village boundaries to promote clustered specialty agriculture, enhancing revenue from local specialties. The “Da Sanxing” zone strengthens the peach industry, establishing an industry chain party committee and a “Da Sanxing Youxuan” platform, boosting per-mu peach returns to over 20,000 yuan and generating 200 million yuan across the full peach industry chain, lifting average household income to more than 300,000 yuan. Meanwhile, the “Meihao Jianglai Xingfuli” zone capitalizes on ginger farming, innovating a “three crops, one hundred thousand yuan” grain-cash rotation model to drive transformation and upgrading across the ginger value chain.
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