Hangzhou’s Qingshan Village: Young Pioneers Driving a Chinese Village’s Self-Renewal

On June 24, the “Two Decades of ‘Two Mountains’ Philosophy: Common Prosperity Initiative” launch ceremony and the three-year action plan commencement for the West Lake Think Tank’s Ecological Civilization Practice Station were held in Qingshan Village, Huanghu Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.  

Co-established by Zhejiang Daily Press Group Hangzhou Bureau and Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Development Strategy and Public Policy, the West Lake Think Tank will empower Huanghu’s industrial prosperity through brand building, IP development, and institutional innovation. This initiative aims to create a collaborative ecosystem featuring “media think tank empowerment + social resource integration + practical achievement transformation + rural model replication.”  

As Yuhang District’s “Future Rural Pilot Zone,” Huanghu Town has attracted young nature enthusiasts committed to rural revitalization. In 2015, the town partnered with “ecological collaborators” to establish China’s first water fund trust—the Good Water Fund—pioneering the nationwide “Beneficiary Pays” mechanism for village-wide market-oriented ecological compensation.  

Presently, Huanghu hosts over 40 eco-industrial entities including Qingshan Nature School and Melt Design Library, attracting more than 120 young talents globally. Qingshan Village’s water source was recognized as a “China Potential Case for OECMs” (Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures) and showcased at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) side event.  

The upgraded Good Water Fund 2.0 expands conservation coverage, diversifies funding sources, and broadens stakeholder participation, aiming to establish a comprehensive village-wide ecological compensation zone with extended protection, enriched partnerships, and varied project typologies.  

Huanghu’s “ecological collaborators” network continues to grow, with newly signed projects including Zhejiang University’s Zero-Carbon Smart House, Huanghu Ecological Civilization Museum, and Smile Tomorrow Foundation’s Tomorrow Book House. The West Lake Think Tank’s three-year action plan will further catalyze Huanghu’s “Two Mountains” development pathway.