Taiji’s Reverse Investment Links Zhejiang’s Pharma Strengths with Fuling’s Green Upgrade

Zhejiang - Under the Zhejiang–Fuling cooperation framework, while Zhejiang firms typically invest in Fuling, Fuling-based Taiji Group has taken a reverse path by nurturing a pharmaceutical company in Zhejiang’s Shaoxing.

Taiji Group Zhejiang Dongfang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has become a key example of this cooperation. Bridging News reporter visited the company in Shaoxing on December 22. 

Taiji Group acquired the Shaoxing Traditional Chinese Medicine Factory in June 2000 and later renamed it Zhejiang Dongfang Pharmaceutical.

According to Yang Ying, deputy general manager of Zhejiang Dongfang Pharmaceutical, Taiji’s green transformation initiative in Fuling required advanced pharmaceutical equipment, exactly the kind produced in Zhejiang cities like Wenzhou and Hangzhou. Zhejiang Dongfang Pharmaceutical, already utilizing such equipment, helped establish connections and supported Taiji’s upgrade.

Since the acquisition, Taiji has also empowered Zhejiang Dongfang Pharmaceutical in market expansion and technology. Leveraging Taiji’s nationwide sales network, Zhejiang Dongfang Pharmaceutical has expanded its market reach from the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region to the entire country. On the technical front, Taiji has dispatched experienced technical teams to provide on-site support.

Shaoxing, a prefecture-level city in Zhejiang with more than 2,500 years of history, is known for its traditional southern architecture and as the hometown of Lu Xun, one of modern China’s most influential writers, whose works are taught nationwide and continue to shape popular culture today.

The city’s GDP exceeds 830 billion yuan (about 118 billion U.S. dollars), with thriving industries like textiles, integrated circuits, and biopharmaceuticals. China Textile City, the world’s largest textile distribution center, processes a quarter of global fabric trade, with expected transactions surpassing 400 billion yuan in 2024.

The blend of tradition and modernity is clear in Shaoxing’s cityscape. On December 22, the reporter visited the ancient city center, where traditional architecture coexists with modern shopping centers and transportation, creating a unique fusion of old and new, reminiscent of European cities.

This mix of tradition and innovation is also clear in Zhejiang’s capital, Hangzhou, where historic West Lake sits alongside a modern tech hub home to companies such as Alibaba, Unitree, DeepRobotics, and DeepSeek.

Local taxi drivers explained that the city’s focus has shifted towards Qianjiang New Town, a modern urban area full of high-rise buildings, showcasing a typical example of a modern metropolis.