Apartment houses for Jiusan Farm's employees in Nenjiang county. Zhao Yuehui / for China Daily

Urbanization in Heilongjiang province has made remarkable progress in recent years and the urbanization rate hit a record high by increasing to an annual rate of 80 percent.

Approximately 278 projects in 14 provincial tourist towns are under construction, such as Jingbo Lake and Heixiazi Island, which are expected to be among the calling cards of Heilongjiang.

In 2008, the province outlined an overall strategy focusing on the construction of eight economic zones and 10 projects. The plan intends to guide the development of cities with the principles of harmony and ecological stability.

In practice, harmony means urban-rural integration and striving for rural development.

Thirteen forestry bureaus have signed cooperation agreements with urban areas to work together for future integration.

Heilongjiang is focusing on environmental protection to achieve sustainable development and build green cities and towns. The investment in environmental protection has grown from 4.43 billion yuan ($700 million) to 10 billion yuan. The urban green coverage rate has increased by 9 percent, which is equivalent to 3,000 hectares of green space.

New forestry growth in the area has reached 310 million cubic meters.

Heilongjiang is working to develop its tourism by building scenic spots that highlight the special environmental landscape of northern China.

Total tourism revenues have increased from 42 billion yuan to 110 billion yuan, nearly doubling the GDP growth rate in the same period. Tourism is propelling economic growth and its societal transformation.

The breakthrough of urbanization would be the construction of small towns in rural areas. The "One Hundred Towns Construction Project" has been launched to shape Heilongjiang into a province with a metropolis as the core, middle-sized cities as backbones and small towns as the base. Until now, the plan has dismantled and merged over 300 residential areas and relocated 100,000 residents.

Heilongjiang puts great importance on investments from State-owned enterprises in its course of urbanization.

In 2010 and 2011, Heilongjiang received a total investment of 418.6 billion yuan from State-owned enterprises, which has instilled new energy for its development.

The Beidahuang Group, the largest grain base in China with the best modernization and the strongest productivity, will be listed as one of the world's Top 500 enterprises in 2012.

Urbanization brings great changes to the 38 million people of Helongjiang. The province is progressing quickly with its urbanization through the road of scientific development. Its average annual GDP from 2008 to 2011 increased by 12.2 percent. In 2011, its growth rate surged to 13 percent, the highest record for Heilongjiang in the past 40 years.