Yuelai town in Haimen district, Nantong, an old revolutionary base during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), is brimming with revolutionary spirit, which is helping drive its industrial development, local media outlets reported.

In recent years, the town has planned a new industrial park covering an area of 173.42 hectares and has endeavored to bring in high-tech innovative companies, forming three pillar industries involving high-end LED optoelectronics, medical devices, and sporting equipment.

Three projects valued at more than 100 million yuan ($15.54 million) each started construction in 2020, including one worth more than 1 billion yuan. 

The combined taxable sales revenue of 39 local industrial companies above designated size reached 1.55 billion yuan during the first quarter of this year, up 86 percent year-on-year.

Yangzi Medical Equipment Co, a local medical glove manufacturer, made the list of Haimen's top 100 industrial companies with 140 million yuan in sales in 2020.

The company is currently building a new plant covering an area of 3.3 hectares. The new plant is expected to be completed in June, bringing the annual sales to more than 200 million yuan, according to Zhu Liuliu, manager of the company's administrative department.

Officials said that the booming industrial development, especially in the manufacturing sector, is made possible by technical workers.

In 2016, an innovative teaching device city, sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the Haimen government, was built in Yuelai town.

The industrial city not only produces teaching devices, such as violins and sci-tech models, but also offers vocational training in the manufacturing sector.

"We have worked with Taiwan-based Kinpo Group in an effort to cultivate 1,000 engineers and technical workers each year to boost the town's industrial development," said Dang Xiaoyong, head of the industrial city.