Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, aims to become an agricultural production center of the Yangtze River Delta region by taking advantage of its varied industries, including fruits, vegetables, gardening, rice, livestock, aquaculture, and rural tourism.

Over the past year, the city has made great progress in promoting agricultural development with local characteristics. 

It has participated in a series of agricultural events, including the international bonsai competition of the 2019 International Horticultural Exposition and the 2019 China Forest Tour Festival, to promote the integration of gardening, culture, and tourism.

The city currently boasts flowers and trees planted over an area of 13,340 hectares, including a newly-built chrysanthemum planting center covering an area of 93 hectares.

The city's gardening industry, which mainly revolves around bonsai, is valued at more than 20 billion yuan ($2.92 billion).

The fishing industry has also seen robust growth, and three major sectors – pet fish, turtles, and snakeheads – are each valued at more than 100 million yuan.

The Rugao government has been making efforts to enhance the market share of branded local specialties, including rice, radish, yellow wine, and dried tea and sausage, in the Yangtze River Delta region. Regular promotional events for the city's agricultural products have been held throughout the region, and local businesses have taken advantage of leading online shopping platforms such as Taobao and JD, or developed their own e-commerce channels.