From an economic perspective, Hangzhou's rapid growth is simply incredible.
The capital of Zhejiang province and home of the famed West Lake is one of the fastest growing mainland regions, attracting billions of yuan in domestic and foreign investment. Last year the city's gross domestic product exceeded 220 billion yuan, a fifth of the provincial total.
But Hangzhou's prosperity comes at a devastating price for some residents.
People from one area in particular - Wuli village in Hangzhou's Xiaoshan Economic Development Zone - are literally paying for the growth with their lives.
'Wuli village is a symbol of what happens when the emphasis is only on economic growth and [when people adhere to] the concept of pollute first and clean up later,' said a Hangzhou-based environmental expert.
Located 40km east of the city centre and along the banks of the Qiantang River, the 1,000-strong community is known as a cancer village, the label used for mainland population centres, usually near industrial areas, that have experienced a surge in deaths from the disease.
