Lishui is situated in the southwest of Zhejiang Province, China. Under its jurisdiction are Liandu District, Longquan, a county-level city and seven counties: Qingtian, Jinyun, Suichang, Qingyuan, Yunhe, Songyang and Jingning. With a population of 2.5 million and an area of 17,300 sq. km, Lishui is the political, economic and cultural center of southwest Zhejiang. It has complete infrastructure and favorable environment for investment. The Jinhua-Wenzhou Railway crosses the city and expressways go direct to Hangzhou (about a 2-hour drive) and Shanghai (about a 4-hour drive). The expressways to Wenzhou (a 1-hour drive), Ningbo, Taizhou and Quzhou are under construction. Lishui is only 100 km from Wenzhou and Yiwu Airports and neighbors the 10,000-tonnage Wenzhou Port. Since the administrative prefecture was replaced by the city in 2000, Lishui Party Committee and the city government have further implemented the strategy for "constructing Lishui in an eco-environment, strengthening Lishui by industry and making Lishui flourish with greenery", and the strategy for "being connected to Shanghai, Hangzhou and Jinhua to the north, to Ningbo, Taizhou and Wenzhou to the east and being integrated with the Yangtze River Delta". The city government is trying out effective approaches to industrialization, urbanization and integration of city and country, resulting in accelerated economic and social development. In 2004, the total GDP reached 26.46 billion RMB yuan, an increase of 21.3% over the previous year. The per capita revenue grew to 1,027 RMB yuan, an increase of 22.4%. The average disposable income of urban dwellers grew to 11,892 RMB yuan, an increase of 10.4%, and the per capita net income of farmers was 3,321 RMB yuan, an increase of 9% over the previous year.

As the national ecological demonstration zone, Lishui has the reputation of "the Elegant and Beautiful Lishui, Green Valley of Zhejiang and Source of Six Rivers". Lishui is endowed with rich natural and tourism resources. The forest coverage of the city has reached 79.1%. Among the more than 3,800 species of plants, such precious Chinese herbal medicines like Mangnolia officinalis, Rhizoma Corydalis, tuckahoe and white paeonia albiflora are mainly produced in this region, providing a significant source of major processing industry. Of the 505 vertebrates, South China Tiger, giant salamander, and Oujiang turtle are nationally protected animals. There are 57 known ore reserves, among which reserves of gold, silver, molybdenum, rare earth, perlite, zeolite, pyrophyllite, porcelain clay and tuff all rank the first in Zhejiang province, with the reserves of pyrophyllite ranking the first in China. Thanks to its rich cultural relics and historical remains, green hills and clean water, Lishui became the first National Ecological Demonstration Zone in Zhejiang. The 800 li of Oujiang River is crystal clear. Fengyang Mountain, Baishanzu Mountain and Jiulong Mountain are national or provincial nature reserves with spectacular views. Dinghu Peak, Shimen Cave, Tongji Weir, Ancient Kiln-Site of Celadon, Yanqing Tower and Liangzhu Culture (Haochuan Relics in Shuichang) are national or provincial scenic spots and cultural relics preservation units. Jingning is the only She minority autonomous county in China. The natural and cultural sights combine to make Lishui an ecological tourist resort.

Lishui is endowed with rich industrial resources. As the headstream of the 6 rivers¡ªOu River, Qiantang River, Min River, Feiyun River, Ling River and Jiao River, the exploitable hydropower resource of Lishui reaches 2.16GW, accounting for 42% of the whole province. After several years of development, all the counties (county-level cities and districts) have been connected to the East China Electric Power Network. There is a 220kv main frame and 110kv networked power transmission and transformation system. The on-going engineering project of 500kv electric transmission and transformation is speeding up its construction. As the green energy base of East China, the electricity supply of Lishui is fully guaranteed. The grand development pattern of completed 1GW, ongoing 1GW and planned 1GW electric power network makes Lishui the best-supplied area in Zhejiang in terms of electricity.

The beauty of the mountains and rivers of Lishui gave rise to a brilliant culture with local characteristics. The Stone-engraving Culture, Celadon and Sword Culture, She Minority Culture and Chapel Bridge Culture since ancient times, and Overseas Chinese Culture and Photography Culture in modern history have formed a profound historical and cultural background of Lishui.

Stepping into a new century, Lishui has maintained a strong momentum of major construction, investment and development. Lishui has made remarkable progress in the construction of ecological agriculture, ecological forestry, ecological industry, ecological tourism and ecological city. In the recent years in particular, the city party committee and the city government put forward the development strategy for "constructing city in an eco-environment, strengthening city by industry and making city flourish with greenery". Definite and special emphasis has been placed on "joining all resources to develop industry" and "opening up and pushing up". The municipal government has laid down the strategic guidelines for giving priority to industrial development, putting every effort into establishing the platform of industrial clusters. The construction of economic development zones (parks) is regarded as a strategic step to "building a strong city through industrial development". During the period of the 11th Five-year Plan, our resources will be focused on industrial zones of major scale and with special characteristics. Entry into the zones will be further facilitated and new land opened up for industrial use. The planned area of industrial zones of the whole city is 178 square kilometers, in which Lishui Economic Development Zone occupies 20.05 square kilometers and its eastward expansion of 35 square km is under way. Shuige Industrial Zone is close to the Lishui Exit of the expressway and is part of Lishui. It is only 6 kilometers from downtown Lishui and 2 kilometers from the Lishui West Passenger Transport Station. The entire zone has comprehensive supporting services like schools, hospitals, financial centers, entertainment facilities, hotels, customs, logistics centers and commercial communities. The roads within the zone are all designed according to the high transportation volume of big industries. The minimum road width is 24m, main roads 36 and trunk roads 44. Greenery covers more than 30% of the land area. Excluding 54 small pen-making enterprises, the number of the enterprises entering the zone has reached 247, with a total investment of 6.861 billion RMB yuan. Of the 247 enterprises, 19 are foreign-invested enterprises with a total investment of more than 99 million USD and 115 are Chinese-invested enterprises with 4.564 billion RMB yuan. 212 enterprises are under construction and 115 enterprises are in operation. The output value was 1.523 billion yuan by the year 2004, and 3.05 billion RMB yuan by the year 2005. The annual revenue grew to 40 million RMB yuan, an increase of 200% over the previous year. After all the enterprises in the zone complete their construction and go into operation, the production scale will reach 20 billion RMB yuan. Synthetic leather, metalwork, valve intensive processing, auto parts, medicine and motors will become advantageous industries. Up to now, Qingtian Economic Development Zone, Liandu Industrial Zone, Yunhe Wooden Toys Industrial Zone, Suichang Metalwork Industrial Zone, Longquan Celadon and Sword Industrial Zone, Jinyun Hardware and Sewing Machinery Zone, Qingyuan Bamboo and Wood Industrial Zone, Jingning Green Food Industrial Zone and Songyang Green Food Industrial Zone have taken shape and are quickening their steps. After years of development, the city boasts internationally and nationally first-class enterprises and cubic industries with special characteristics, such as Nice Group, the leading soap and washing powder manufacturer of China, Zhejiang Yuanli Group, the largest metalwork manufacturer in China, Zhejiang Kaien Group, the only manufacturer of electrolytic capacitor paper in China, and Zhejiang Founder Motor Co., Ltd, whose volumes of output and export of sewing machine motors top the industry in China. Lishui has formed 10 industrial clusters manufacturing wooden toys, shoes, fountain pens£¬micromotors, sewing machines, fluorescent tubes, cutting tools, metalwork and parasols. The industrial foundation keeps strengthening and the industrial chain keeps extending.

Lishui is an emerging city. In the midst of its green hills and land, blue water and sky, your enterprising initiative will be inspired, and you will be provided with a vast space for career development.

The favorable policies of Lishui Economic Development Zone are as follows:

1. Favorable tax policies 

The following preferential treatment will be given to any domestic investment enterprise newly established in the economic development zone, with investment of a production nature, scheduled to operate for a period of not less than ten years: from the year of production, it will be, with the approval of the local city tax bureau, exempted from three years of enterprise income tax. Approved investors and approved hi-tech enterprises (or products and projects) can, from the profit-making year, besides being exempted from three years of enterprise income tax as stipulated by the state, have all the local net income from the income tax paid by this enterprise returned as a reward in the 4th and 5th year. From the year of production, the value-added tax will be fully returned as a reward according to the local net income from the value-added tax actually paid by this enterprise. Starting from the 4th year, the local net income rewarded is 50% of the sum increased over the previous year. Foreign investment enterprises shall, starting from the profit-making year, besides the policy of "2-year exemption and 3-year 50% reduction" as stipulated by the state, have all the local net income from the income tax paid by this enterprise returned as a reward from the 3rd to the 5th year. From the year of production, the value-added tax will be fully returned as a reward according to the local net income from the value-added tax actually paid by this enterprise.

2. Favorable land price

The land in Lishui Economic Development Zone which the investor has the right to use is mellow soil. The price for Shuige Zone is 110 thousand Yuan per mu. For major projects, there are further preferential policies in accordance with the investment density. Foreign-invested enterprises get lump-sum rewards according to the actual investments in use. Hi-tech enterprises get lump-sum rewards according to their appraised levels.

3. One-stop service

All the routine procedures of investment that a potential investor has to go through can be commissioned free of charge to the investment service center of the development zone. The investor only needs to contact the service center rather than all the administration departments.

4. Whole-process and follow-up service

During the whole process from signing the letter of intent to production or service, the development zone designates a specific person to provide the investor with whole-process and follow-up service ranging from examination, approval to those requiring the coordination of different departments.

5. Free administration (except taxes)

Except paying relevant taxes, the enterprises in the zone pay only the minimum or half of paid services and resource redemption fees. Administration fees are exempt in principle. The fees will be collected by the development zone so that service and charge are separated. All kinds of arbitrary quotas and disguised charges are prohibited. No other fees will be charged.