Hou Junbo (middle), chief scientist at Jiashan-based Edelman Hydrogen Energy Equipment Co Ltd, offers guidance to researchers. [Photo/WeChat account: jxfabu]

Hou Junbo, chief scientist at Jiashan-based Edelman Hydrogen Energy Equipment Co Ltd and part-time professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU), has been enjoying a life in two cities over the past two years, Jiaxing Daily reported on July 23.

In 2016, Hou was recommended by his classmate to the then startup company Edelman and after visiting Jiashan county in Jiaxing, he was impressed by its advantageous location and efficient government service, and decided to return from the United States to China with his family.

Two years later, as Edelman got on track, Hou had more free time and therefore accepted the offer from SJTU. Since then, the returnee has enjoyed life in both cities.

Thanks to the further integration of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, Hou finds it increasingly more convenient to live and work in both Jiashan and Shanghai.

He said that although he now lives in Shanghai, he can drive to Jiashan-based Edelman in just one hour if there's an emergency for him to deal with.

His family can visit all the scenic spots in Jiashan, Qingpu and Wujiang free of charge with the "YRD tour passport", and when visiting a doctor in Jiashan, he can receive medical services from 16 first-class hospitals.

Jiashan county, Qingpu district in Shanghai and Wujiang district in Suzhou were selected as the demonstration areas for the integrated ecological development in the YRD region in 2019, and the three places now are exploring cooperation in more fields.

Currently, more and more high-caliber professionals like Hou live and work in both Jiaxing and another YRD city.

Jiaxing has ramped up efforts to promote the free flow of professionals among YRD cities in the past year by establishing a cities alliance and talent service center.

Statistics showed that in 2019, the net inflow rate of middle and high-level professionals in Jiaxing ranked fourth in China.