A rendering of the Yanjiayu Island project in Quzhou. [Photo/quzhoufb]

With plans for it to be a key part of Quzhou Ancient City Cultural Tourism Zone – located in Quzhou, Zhejiang province – the Yanjiayu Island development project broke ground on Feb 20, paving the way for it to become a new cultural tourism landmark in the city.

Yanjiayu Island is located at the confluence of three rivers in Quzhou's main urban area, occupying about 1 square kilometer. Costing an estimated 942 million yuan ($129.88 million), the new project is expected to attract more visitors to experience the charms of the ancient city of Quzhou.

Leveraging Yanjiayu's excellent environment and ecological system and based on the culture of Southern Confucianism, the project aims to create a cultural experience site, a sustainable urban space, and a trendy study tour destination.

The project is structured around six main zones – a waterfront ecological area, the North Zone, Amusement Zone, Commercial Zone, Pet Zone, and the South Zone.

Among them, the North Zone will feature a visitors center, a visitors plaza, a garden, and a wedding chapel.

The Pet Zone – themed around sika deer – will also include giraffes, a horse ranch, a pasture, swans, and other popular animals.

The South Zone, as the project's flexible second-phase development area, aims to provide visitors with a contemporary pastoral experience.