Liu Song checks on the growth of rice in an agricultural-tourism complex in Yong'an village, Yuhang district of Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo by Mei Ershuai]

A growing number of young, skilled and educated professionals are heading to the countryside in East China's Zhejiang province and putting down roots there, bringing their expertise to rural communities.

In an agricultural-tourism complex in Yong'an village, Yuhang district of Hangzhou, Liu Song wrapped up a livestream promoting wine brewed from locally grown rice before rushing off to welcome a visiting delegation from neighboring Anhui province.

Yong'an is a traditional grain-producing village. Ninety-seven percent of its land is designated as permanent basic farmland, and all 5,429 mu (361 hectares) can only be used for grain cultivation, according to Liu.

In 2020, Liu was appointed manager of the village's collective economy. He spent months getting a thorough understanding of local conditions before presenting a 16-page presentation outlining the village's development plan for the next three to five years.

To attract visitors, the village began organizing a series of agriculture-, culture- and tourism-themed activities such as harvest festivals. As word spread, Yong'an steadily gained popularity.

Under Liu's team, the village collective's operating income climbed from 730,000 yuan ($107,000) in 2019 to 6.35 million yuan in 2025, while villagers' average annual income increased from 42,000 yuan to 66,000 yuan.

The village's success soon drew attention from across the country. Liu then expanded into new ventures, organizing study tours and training programs, and even sending his team to other villages to provide on-site operational services and manage local projects directly.

Jiang Jufang, Party branch secretary and head of the villagers' committee in Feidui village, Qingshi town of Changshan county in Quzhou, begins each day at full speed.

This year marks the seventh year since he returned home to develop the Huyou business. Huyou is a citrus hybrid combining sour orange and pomelo that is unique to Changshan county. Thanks to the industry's growth, villagers' incomes have increased fivefold, while the village collective's income has risen more than tenfold.