An aerial view of Xiajiang village in Chun'an county, Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

Xiajiang in Chun'an county, Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, has now morphed into an ecologically-friendly and prosperous village from one that used to be afflicted with poverty and heavy pollution.

Over the past 20 years, many villagers managed to generate a good income by planting tea and Chinese medical herbs, raising silkworms, as well as developing agricultural tourism.

Xiajiang Household Restaurant, which is located amid the green mountains and clear waters, was built on an area that was formerly a pig sty.

The owner of the restaurant Jiang Surong said that he left his hometown at the age of 16 to learn how to cook and make a living.

Jiang said that in the past, villagers often cut down the trees in the village and sold them to earn a living. "Day after day, the mountain body appeared to be barer," he recalled.

"Every time it rained, sewage flew around the village, emitting unpleasant smells. No one was willing to visit his village in the past."

"Since the ecological environment here began to be restored, the village had received over 1,000 visitors every day," he added, noting that the villagers have benefited from the green development measures.

Visitors sail boats on rivers in Xiajiang village, Chun'an county in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

With the increasing number of tourists coming to visit Xiajiang village, Jiang's restaurant is also seeing more customers, bringing in considerable revenue for him.

According to Jiang, the restaurant is expected to generate nearly 200,000 yuan ($28,920) in revenue a year.

All vegetables at the restaurant were brought from local villagers, which have helped increase their incomes.

Statistics released by the Xiajiang village committee showed that the gross income of the village in 2019 amounted to 82.57 million yuan, with the per capita disposable income reaching 39,693 yuan.

Over the past year, the village received 733,700 tourists, generating 44 million yuan in tourism revenue, a year-on-year increase of 47.7 percent.