Lishui is located in the southwest of Zhejiang Province. The city has a population of 2.68 million and governs nine old revolutionary base counties (cities and districts included), respectively Liandu District, Longquan City, Qingtian County, Yunhe County, Qingyuan County, Jinyun County, Suichang County, Songyang County and Jingning County. Among these counties, Jingning County is the only She minority Autonomous County across the country and the only minority Autonomous County in Eastern China.

During the presidency in Zhejiang Province, Party Secretary Xi Jinping has come to Lishui for investigation for eight times, and he stated that: “Clear water and green mountains are great fortunes, especially for Lishui City.” Lishui is gradually promoted to be the home to health-preserving and longevity with its picturesque sceneries.

Lishui is blessed with superior and unique ecological environment. Lishui enjoys dense mountains with 80.79% coverage and ranks the second in China, and there are 3,573 peaks with an altitude above 1000 meters, among which the 1929-meter high Huangmaojian Peak of Fengyang Mountain is the highest peak in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas. Lishui is also renowned for its quality of water environment. It is the source of six rivers, namely Ou River, Qiantang River, Feiyun River, Jiao River, Min River and Sai River, where the water quality standard rate reaches 98% high and the qualified drinking water rate reaches 100% high. Besides, it boasts fresh air. Lishui is the only one of non-coastal and low altitude city among top ten national air quality cities, with its average density of negative oxygen ion in air per cubic centimeter is about 2800 and the air quality rate is 95.4%, ranking the first of Zhejiang.

Lishui enjoys picturesque landscape and abundant natural resources. It is crowned as the cradle for flora and fauna with the most forests, hydraulic power, minerals, and wild plants and animals in Zhejiang. It boasts numerous tourism resources, and the Party Secretary Xi Jinping has appraised Lishui as “A picturesque place born to be fascinating”. There are 2365 tourism units, 353 of which are in the excellent or good level standards; there are 465 historical sites on the history of Communist Party of China, serving as the second batch of typical scenic spots for National Red Tour.

Lishui has a long history and profound culture. The past 1400 years have witnessed the great changes of Lishui since the establishment of Chuzhou Office (Fu in Chinese) in the ninth year under the rule of Sui Wendi (AD589).Tongji Weir is the oldest water conservancy project in Zhejiang Province while three treasures, the celadon, sword of Longquan City and stone carving of Qingtian are listed into the first batch of national intangible cultural heritages. Longquan celadon dates back to the Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasties over 1700 years ago, and it is one of the most time-consuming, largest and most influential kilns in China. Longquan celadon is not only a symbol of Chinese culture but also a world-class cultural heritage, which was selected as the official gifts of G20 Hangzhou Summit. Invented in Spring and Autumn Warrior period, Longquan sword has lasted for more than 2,600 years in forging and is reputed as the best sword in China. Reputed as “the ancestor of seal stone”, Qingtian stone carving dates back to the South and North Dynasty (420-589), more than 1600 years from now, and its values almost equals golds when elected as the national present for many times being one of the four national stones.

Lishui has won more than 10 shiny titles of National Ecology Demonstration Zone, the Photography Township of China, the Folk Culture Township of China, the Longevity Township of China, and the Health-preserving Township of China, International City for Entertainment and Health-preserving, Excellent Tourist City in China, National Forest City, National Garden City and National Hygienic City. The distinctive local cultures of photography, overseas Chinese, She Minority are increasingly showing their unique charm in development and inheritance.