Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi Province, is officially listed as a low-ranking second-tier Chinese city, but through innovation and taking advantage of its own conditions, the city has found a unique way to boost development.

"As a relatively underdeveloped city, if Nanchang tries to follow the development models of developed cities, it would be very hard for it to catch up with the others," said Liu Hua, chief economic planner with the Nanchang Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, the local economic planner.

Using its sound ecological base, the city's rapid development is riding on the back of green growth.

Adjoining Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, and with a green coverage rate of 42 percent, Nanchang has a sound ecosystem. Using this, the city employs a multi-level low-carbon development strategy, from industrial development to agricultural production and from municipal construction to the lifestyle of residents.

According to a low-carbon development roadmap Nanchang released at the end of 2011, the city will invest 81.7 billion yuan ($12.88 billion) in 52 key projects in the near future, including eight photovoltaic projects, four LED projects, nine cultural tourism projects, three outsourcing projects and two transportation projects.

"Low-carbon development is a worldwide trend, and Nanchang is at the same starting line with other Chinese cities in this regard," said Liu, adding that with a level playing field, Nanchang has a chance to leap ahead of other cities.

Attracting investment

"In the last decade, Nanchang has invested more than 2 billion yuan ($315.37 million) in industrial transformation and restructuring. Now you cannot find any signs of those old industries such as big chimneys in the city," said Liu Li, a spokesman for the Nanchang Municipal Government.

Based on a comprehensive scheme, all of the 40 large and medium-sized enterprises in the Nanchang CBD were relocated to suburban industrial parks, while dozens of other polluting companies were renovated or shut down in the past decade. These efforts contributed greatly to improved air quality in Nanchang. In recent years, its annual ratio of days with good air quality has exceeded 94 percent.

To seek rapid economic development, most Chinese cities have spared no effort to attract investment in recent years. However despite the need for investment, enterprises from high-polluting and high energy-consuming industries are not allowed in the city.

The Nanchang National Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone (NNHIDZ) is the only state-level hi-tech development zone in Jiangxi. However, the primary precondition of a company to be based in the zone is not its scale or capital strength, but whether or not it is "green."

On June 6, the China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group officially started a 10-billion-yuan ($1.58 billion) project in NNHIDZ, including the building of a low-carbon industrial park as well as its regional headquarters.

In Qiaoshe, a northern suburb of Nanchang, there is another low-carbon industrial park. The park, covering an area of 30 square km, will focus on developing low-carbon commodities and building materials. At present, a Sino-Austrian rock wool product outfit with an investment of 1 billion yuan ($158 million) has settled there. In the future, an integrated low-carbon industry chain is expected to take shape in the park.

"So far, Nanchang has established eight low-carbon industrial bases, each in a different industrial cluster. Low-carbon industries account for 30 percent of the total industrial output value of Nanchang. We will try to make low-carbon industries the pillars of Nanchang's economy as well as develop traditional industries in a low-carbon way," said Liu Hua.

Eco-agriculture

Qianfang Township is located on the shore of Junshanhu Lake in Nanchang's Jinxian County. The vast orchards and tea gardens in the township present tourists with a unique and pleasant experience. What's more, they are all cultivated using organic farming methods.

"The tea gardens cover more than 600 hectares, while the orchards cover an area of 530 hectares, mainly farming pears and pomelos. As the gardens and orchards are all fertilized by natural fertilizers such as livestock waste, they cause very little pollution, while the quality of fruits and tea is improved," said Tu Lihua, a local official.

The orchards and tea gardens are operated by eco-agricultural companies, but the organic farming methods also attract local farmers to join in.

Tu said villagers have seen that organic eco-agriculture can bring financial benefits, so they are motivated to become involved with the help of business and government incentives of the government. In the long term this puts money in pockets and preserves the environment.

Low-carbon life

It is very clear to Nanchang officials that low-carbon development is not limited only to economic development, it also benefits local residents.

Honggutan New District is a pristine downtown area in Nanchang. In the process of its development, low-carbon life and energy-efficient buildings were comprehensively taken into consideration. The district has a half-hour daily commuting cycle with optimized urban layout, shortening the travel time of residents and highly reducing traffic carbon emission. Architectural utilization of solar energy was promoted in the construction of building of many public facilities and residential quarters. Many buildings are equipped with solar-heated water systems and photovoltaic systems.

To help with traffic, the city makes use of a free bicycle service, promoting the bicycle-sharing program to encourage residents to travel in a low-carbon way. Because it is so convenient, people often choose to take a bicycle, found conveniently on any street, instead of taking a taxi or bus. So far, Nanchang has established more than 80 free bicycle-sharing sites with around 7,500 bicycles.

Meanwhile, public transport operators and government departments are encouraged to use new-energy vehicles, such as electric buses and hybrid-electric vehicles. At present, more than 500 such vehicles are in use. Another 500 will be added by the end of this year.

Posters depicting a low-carbon lifestyle are commonly seen at residential quarters in Nanchang and people are proud and happy to talk about their knowledge of the low-carbon life, that has made the city more dynamic.

Nanchang - Fast Facts

Nanchang is the capital of central China's Jiangxi Province, and has a history dating back more than 2,200 years

Area: 7,402 square km

Population: 4.85 million

Location: Bordering Poyang Lake in the southwest, and economically developed Guangdong and Fujian provinces in the south, and Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Hubei provinces in the north

Industries: Aircraft manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, metallurgy, electro-mechanics, textiles, chemical engineering, medicine, electronic information, biological engineering, new materials and others

Logistics: A convenient and bustling commercial trade hub and distribution center for consumables and industrial products in south China, and the only provincial capital located along the Beijing-Kowloon Railway linking Beijing and Hong Kong