The new Zhejiang tea germplasm resources nursery in Chishou town, Songyang county. [Photo/WeChat account: ls-mnews]

Songyang county – administered by Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – held its annual forum on rural development on Sept 12-13.

The event – called the Tianyuan Songyang Forum – was first held in 2012 and it reportedly has made great contributions to the leapfrog economic and social development of Songyang.

Through the platform, the county has had extensive academic exchanges on the development of its tea industry, exploring traditional Chinese medicine culture and the development of the area's stainless steel industry, among others.

"I once visited Songyang more than 10 years ago and am very happy to come back and find it has taken on a new look," said Sheng Shihao, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, at the forum.

Sheng also gave a keynote speech on new ways to achieve common prosperity in mountainous areas.

During the event, the launch ceremony was held for the Zhejiang tea germplasm resources nursery in Songyang's Chishou town.

Another signing ceremony took place to establish in Songyang the Yangtze River Delta innovation center for the Tea Research Institute, which is part of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.