Anji County is known for its lush natural environment, with over 70% of the county's area covered in forest and other vegetation.[2] In particular, Anji County is known for its bamboo production.[2] The county has 60,000 hectares (150,000 acres) of bamboo groves containing over 40 different species of bamboo.[citation needed]
During the 1990s, it took more than two hours to travel to Hangzhou by bus.[citation needed] Poor transportation isolated Anji from the rest of Zhejiang Province, and for many years its economy remained underdeveloped.[citation needed] From 1997 to 2000, highways were built to Hangzhou and Huzhou, and from 2000 to 2002, highways connecting to National Highway G318 were constructed.[citation needed] The provincial highways within its boundary were also widened.[citation needed] Now the highway system traversing the entire boundary has been completed, and it takes less than three hours to reach Shanghai, Nanjing or Suzhou, and less than one hour to get to Hangzhou and Huzhou.[citation needed]
As of 2021, Anji County has a total gross domestic product (GDP) of 56.63 billion renminbi (RMB), an increase of 10.8% from 2020.[2] Urban residents have a per capitadisposable income of 65,750 RMB, while rural residents have a per capita disposable income of 39,495 RMB.[2] In 2001, Anji County received $50 million USD in foreign investment.[citation needed][needs update]
Tourism
Tourism is an important part of Anji County's economy. As of 2013, the county received 10.44 million tourists.[3] In 2001, Anji received 1.4 million tourists, earning it 310 million yuan, which made up 6.1% of the county's GDP.[citation needed]
The ecological tour area covers one-tenth of the county's total area.[citation needed][clarification needed] Anji produces 12 million commercial bamboo poles annually, ranking first nationwide.[citation needed] It also has China's largest bamboo nursery.[citation needed] The Anji Bamboo Garden is acknowledged by scholars within and outside China as containing the widest variety of bamboo to be found.[citation needed] It was formerly a bamboo grove research base that combined scientific research with teaching, and has received many foreign experts and scholars and officials from the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation.[citation needed]
At the Longwang (Dragon King, deity of Chinese folk religion) Mountain Nature Reserve, lies the source of the Huangpu River, and the 800-hectare primeval forest there contains numerous flora and fauna under national protection; Amji's Salamander is only known from this reserve.[8] The Huadong Pumping Storage Power Station, located in the Tianhuangping Scenic Area, is the largest in Asia and second largest worldwide.[citation needed] It is meant to blend in with the surrounding environment, and is a Chinese industrial demonstration project.[citation needed] A feasibility plan recently commenced on the 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi) British designed Huxi Ecological Garden.[citation needed]
Agricultural products
Bamboo forest
Local agricultural products include bamboo shoots, white tea, alpine vegetables, and flowers.[citation needed] Production bases for green products have been opened, and specialized markets for agricultural products and comprehensive wholesale markets built.[citation needed] In order further to supplement ecological tourism, agricultural sightseeing gardens that provide leisure activities have also been constructed.[citation needed] Pollution-free products currently make up 40 percent of the market, and the per capita income of farmers has increased steadily, from 3,708 yuan in 1998 to 4,556 yuan in 2001.[citation needed][needs update] Chain production is a characteristic of Anji's industry;[clarification needed] bamboo, for instance, can be made into food, handicrafts, and building materials, and its remnants can also be utilized.[citation needed] Anji products are now exported to more than 20 countries and regions, and about one-fourth of the county's gross output value of agriculture and industry comes from bamboo-related industries.[citation needed]
^宁云 [Ning Yun]. anji.gov.cn (in Chinese). Anji County People's Government. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
^ abcdefghij县情简介 [County Introduction]. anji.gov.cn (in Chinese). Anji County People's Government. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
^ ab2013年安吉县国民经济和社会发展统计公报 [2013 Anji County National Economic and Social Development Annual Report]. www.anji.gov.cn (in Chinese). Anji County People's Government. 2014-04-30. Archived from the original on 2014-07-30. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
^ abcdef自然地理 [Physical Geography]. anji.gov.cn (in Chinese). Anji County People's Government. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
