Tourists visit a newly opened cafe in Yucun village, Anji county, Huzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sept 13. Converted from a former mining pit, the site combines ecological restoration with new leisure offerings such as cliffside dining, paddleboarding, and live music. [Photo/IC]

Zhejiang province held a launch ceremony for the country's first ecological restoration industry fund in Anji county, Huzhou, on Sept 12, aiming to mobilize private capital and deliver market-driven solutions for land and spatial ecological restoration.

The fund is led by Zhejiang Natural Resources Group, which provided anchor investment. It is structured around a mixed-ownership model, combining investment from State-owned enterprises, private firms, and other social capital. According to the organizers, the fund will be used exclusively for restoring damaged ecosystems within Zhejiang.

Investment will target five major ecological categories — natural ecosystems, farmland, urban (city and town) spaces, mining areas, and marine environments — as well as low-carbon sectors such as eco-agriculture, ecological tourism, and nature-based education.

The first phase includes six projects located in Huzhou, Shaoxing, Hangzhou, Jinhua, and Taizhou, with a total planned investment of over 3 billion yuan ($421.59 million). Funding will be released in stages as projects enter operation.