A bird's-eye view of Yingtuo ecological park in Zhouwu village, Hai'an [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Zhouwu village in Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province, has turned itself from a poverty-stricken area into a model village in terms of its ecological environment, industrial development and the quality of people's lives.

The village covers an area of 3.84 square kilometers and has a population of 2,352. In 2016, its annual revenue was over 100,000 yuan ($141,50) and the annual per capita net income was over 8,000 yuan. It was listed among the most economically disadvantaged villages in the city.

To boost economic development, the village has been promoting green development, boosting the transfer of farmland and strengthening unique local industries.

In addition to the existing Yingtuo ecological park, a seedling base was introduced in the village in 2016. With an investment of 25 million yuan in its first phase, the park was expected to produce three million pots of plants per year.

Cherry-apple trees, sweet-scented osmanthus flowers, red maples and crape myrtles have also been cultivated, making the village a "forest oxygen bar".

The village has also begun online sales of plants, home textiles and furniture, which greatly helps increase locals' incomes.

The construction of high-quality farmland has been completed in the village, costing 59 million yuan, and renovation work is being carried out on rural roads and channels.

In 2019, the total revenue of Zhouwu village reached 530,000 yuan and the annual per capita net income was up to 20,000 yuan.