"We will spare no efforts to make Huzhou a landmark model that pioneers the nation's green development, by transforming and practicing more tangible products and experiences out of the 'Two Mountains' theory," said Ma Xiaohui, Party secretary of Huzhou.

In Deqing county of Huzhou, famous for its scenic B&Bs in the Mogan Mountains, rural tourism has become a main source of income for local farmers. This is thanks to the scenic views there and supportive policies from the local county authorities.

Take Laoling village at the foot of the Mogan Mountains, for example. This small village netted an income of more than 100 million yuan from the B&B sector last year. More than 500,000 tourists flocked there to find a retreat from their busy urban lives.

"Nowadays, tourists and backpackers have an ever-growing appetite for high-quality B&Bs, coupled with a scenic and pollution-free natural environment such as Mogan Mountains," said Deqing local Zheng Liwei, owner of a small inn in the village.

"The beautifying economy, backed by clear waters and lush mountains in Zhejiang, is a pollution-free cash cow transformed from the 'Two Mountains' theory," said Qian Hong, secretary-general of the Tea Farmers' Association in Deqing.

"For the next step, we will focus on development of more varied agricultural products such as teas, and tea-picking activities to further enrich the context of rural tourism," she added.

The well-preserved environment has also played a vital role in luring more foreign investors to launch businesses in the city.

In 2015, Scherdel, a Germany-based leader in the field of technical springs, opened its manufacturing center in Huzhou. Three years on, the company has made two additional investments in Huzhou within a short period.

"It is obvious that we have placed a great emphasis on the Chinese market, but it's not common to see so many additional heavy investments within a short time," said Saskia Metz, general manager of Scherdel in Huzhou.

"Though Huzhou does not rank among the first-tier cities in China, we have introduced over 23 Fortune 500 companies, including IBM, Walmart and General Electric," said a local official who did not want to be named.

He added that a total of 2,219 foreign-funded enterprises have settled in the city over the past decade. Foreign investment has reached $31.79 billion.

He also noted that aside from the increased foreign investment, Huzhou has witnessed a transformation in industrial structure. It has evolved from a city with low-added-value industries into one dominated by high-end industries, such as new energy, information technology and tourism.

"The 'Two Mountains' theory has definitely played a key role in making such transformation a reality," he emphasized.

Statistics show that from January to September in 2018, Huzhou attracted 97 new foreign-invested companies with a total investment of $2.58 billion.