Farmers work in a tea garden in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Lishui has consistently led Zhejiang province in the growth of farmers' per capita income for 16 consecutive years, with this figure reaching 26,491 yuan ($3751.09) in the first three quarters of this year, a 6.2 percent year-on-year increase.

Focusing on its rural population of 862,000, Lishui promotes common prosperity by enhancing agriculture and employment. It has developed 13 local specialty industrial chains, each valued at over 1 billion yuan, including Songyang county’s tea industry chain, which exceeds 15 billion yuan.

These chains boosted agricultural output by 4.4 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of this year, employing 513,400 people with an average income of 26,000 yuan.

The city also expands rural employment through skill training. More than 1,065 shared prosperity workshops linked to skill schools have provided training in e-commerce livestreaming and other skills to more than 100,000 people, helping over 70,000 residents secure local jobs, with average monthly earnings increasing by 2,850 yuan.

Additionally, 12 million yuan in training vouchers have been issued, benefiting 13,000 farmers. An employer liability insurance scheme also supports employment for 12,900 older rural workers aged from 61 to 75.

The integrated development of agriculture, culture, and tourism is also a contributing factor, with a village cluster in Liandu district attracting nearly 2 million tourists this year. The city's 3,376 rural homestays now employ 25,000 people and generate annual revenue exceeding 3 billion yuan.

Since 2023, Lishui's common prosperity partners program has attracted 708 individuals, who have invested over 1 billion yuan in 586 projects, vitalizing hundreds of villages.

Facing ongoing challenges, Lishui is committed to establishing a long-term mechanism to sustain farmer income growth and improve livelihoods.