Two men skydive in Jiande Aviation Town. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

When night falls, people living in Aviation Town in Jiande city fill up the central plaza – enjoying beer and grilled meat at the railway restaurant, or following some rhythmic music for group dancing.

Yang Tianhong, secretary of the local Hengshan residential community, was glad to see the once forgotten area getting back its hustle and bustle.

The former site of the Hengshan Iron and Steel Plant, the 1.3-million-square-meter town had undergone its darkest days when the plant declared bankruptcy in 2003, laying off thousands of workers, and leaving the local residential community, schools, hospital, gym and swimming pool to fall into disrepair.

Signs of recovery emerged in December 2006 when the nearby Qiandao Lake Airport was approved for civil use and aviation-related industries began to take shape. The area improved again in 2015 as Zhejiang announced it would focus on developing civil aviation and a town characteristic of that industry was born.

The town improved local industries such as manufacturing, oil transport, maintenance support and talent training, as well as attracting numerous tourists to the area every year.

Statistics show that from January to August this year, the town has received over 800,000 tourists and generated tourism income of over 87 million yuan ($13 million). Skydiving, helicopter and balloon riding, and aviation knowledge tours are the top choices among tourists.

Qiandao Lake Airport. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]