The conference for promoting rural development held by local authorities in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on Dec 6 [Photo/zj.zjol.com]

A conference for promoting rural development was held by local authorities in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on Dec 6. 

The meeting witnessed the signing of ten major projects worth nearly 30 billion yuan ($4.36 billion), covering the areas of rural industry, ecology and infrastructure. 

These projects feature a large scale and a high level of industrial convergence, with the one for building an ecological and artistic town in Haishu district, for example, covering 23 kilometers and expected to integrate tourism, entertainment and agriculture. 

"Projects are the driving force for rural development, which will bring talents, capital and technology to the countryside, and play an important role in the city's modernization of rural areas and agriculture," said an official from the rural affairs office of the city government.