Zhangjiagang in East China's Jiangsu province joins hands with Yanhe Tujia autonomous county of Tongren in Guizhou to aid the industrialization of Yanhe's tea industry. [Photo/zjgonline.com.cn]

The county-level city of Zhangjiagang in East China's Jiangsu province has been closely collaborating with Yanhe Tujia autonomous county of Tongren in Guizhou since the two places established relations in 2018.

Leveraging its unique geographical conditions and ecological advantages, Zhangjiagang has helped Yanhe develop its ecological agriculture industry.

For example, an organic farming industrial park was established with the help of the Zhangjiagang agriculture and rural affairs bureau. To date, the park has attracted more than 20 million yuan ($2.88 million) in investments and introduced diversified projects related to sightseeing, fruit picking and ecological breeding.

As a result of the cooperation between Yanhe and Zhangjiagang, the annual per capita income in Yanhe's Gaofeng village rose from 2,800 yuan in 2017 to more than 9,000 yuan last year.

Zhangjiagang has also helped Yanhe to tap into the advantages of its ecological resources to fully develop its ecological agriculture industry. This has in turn lifted more than 45,000 people out of poverty.

Over the past two years, Zhangjiagang has sent over 10 groups of technical experts to introduce new agricultural technology and business models to Yanhe. Advanced planting and breeding technologies that were introduced have helped accelerate the upgrading of Yanhe's traditional agricultural industries such as vegetable production and sheep breeding.

Zhangjiagang has also launched consumption-driven poverty alleviation activities to help Yanhe. For instance, special sales platforms were established online and offline to help sell Yanhe's agricultural products.