The Zhangwu Urban Night Sky Place in Anji county, Huzhou, Zhejiang province, has been designated by DarkSky International as China's first Urban Night Sky Place, according to the organization.

The site is located in Jingwu village, Zhangwu town. Its core area covers 0.26 square kilometers, with the summit of Jiangjun Mountain about 680 meters above sea level.

Urban Night Sky Places are part of DarkSky International's program to protect the nighttime environment. They focus on reducing light pollution and promoting responsible lighting while making stargazing accessible to people in and near urban areas.

A starry sky helps light up a mountain path at the Zhangwu Urban Night Sky Place in Anji, Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: anjifb]

Protecting the site also requires cooperation across provincial boundaries. Jiangjun Mountain extends across Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. Jingwu village has worked with neighboring Ganxi village in Lucun town, Guangde, Anhui, to improve lighting, coordinate ecological protection and strengthen tourism cooperation.

The local initiative has included lighting upgrades and efforts to protect the night sky. These measures aim to preserve the area's nighttime environment while providing residents of Anji and nearby cities with an accessible place to enjoy the stars.