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Huishan village. [Photo/WeChat account: sxfabu]

In 2025, shared prosperity became the central focus of Shaoxing's development. The city aims to develop a model for integrated industrial, urban, and cultural growth while serving as a provincial pilot to reduce major regional and income gaps. In the first three quarters, urban and rural per capita disposable incomes reached 69,987 yuan ($9,910) and 45,183 yuan, respectively, both of which are among the highest in the province. This has reduced the city's urban-rural income ratio to 1.55.

Shaoxing has built a citywide framework to turn development plans into concrete actions at the local level. The city issued two key plans targeting mountain-area industries, village development, and farmer income. Nineteen municipal leaders are assigned to key towns, while 137 city and county departments support target villages.

Local support initiatives have spread widely. In Huishan town, Xinchang county, municipal teams are coordinating funding, technology, and market channels, introducing new projects such as turtle farming and agricultural processing. Citywide, 589 town-level lists, 737 village measures, and over 30,000 household-level actions have been implemented, raising farmers' income by 55.78 million yuan and stimulating grassroots innovation for shared prosperity.

Xiaokun village shared prosperity project. [Photo/WeChat account: sxfabu]

Industrial chains have become a key to collaborative growth. Across the city, local governments have established production and innovation hubs, workshops, and markets where leading enterprises create jobs and upgrade industries. In Binhai New Area, village-focused industrial chains have provided employment for more than 1,700 people. The city now has 15 full industrial chains each worth over 1 billion yuan, and local specialty products reached 53.8 billion yuan, the highest in the province.

Facilitating the flow of resources and providing equal access to public services are key to narrowing the urban-rural gap. Shaoxing promotes contract farming, home-based employment, and brand development while improving education, healthcare, and transportation. To date, 1,011 shared prosperity workshops have employed 64,800 rural workers.

Returning youth are becoming a new force for urban-rural integration. Districts attract young entrepreneurs through policies and service platforms, creating opportunities in agriculture, culture, tourism, and emerging industries. Over the next three years, Shaoxing plans 300 youth practice stations and aims to train more than 10,000 rural innovators.

An aerial view of Shibihu village. [Photo/WeChat account: sxfabu]