Letter from China: A peek into the futuristic life in Jing-Jin-Ji

by Xinhua writer Ma Yujie

BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- What is an ideal urban life? To me, it's a walkable community where I can take advantage of a variety of convenient amenities and opportunities for enjoyment; a place with clean air and minimal traffic congestion. It is somewhere that fosters daringly novel ideas, technologies and ways of life.

And I'm glad to say I have found some clues as to where such a place might exist. My peek into the future began with a journey to Tianjin, about 100 km away from Beijing.

Honestly speaking, every time I take the Beijing-Tianjin intercity bullet train, I am amazed by the speed and comfort of the trip.

The ride to Tianjin's Wuqing District took just 22 minutes, quicker than it takes me to finish my coffee.

Prior to that when I skimmed through the timetable in search of a suitable departure time, I was presented with jaw-dropping options-- nearly 500 train trips are made daily between the two cities -- and that's merely the number of high-speed ones.

The trip was a total treat. There's no need to pack any luggage, not even a laptop, as half a day is all I need to finish my work and come back.

Behind that is a national strategy to integrate the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, also known as "Jing-Jin-Ji," covering more than 100 million people living in the region's 13 cities at the prefecture level and above.

Exactly one decade ago, the region's coordinated development was proposed as a national strategy, as Beijing, the Chinese capital city, was troubled with "big city malaise."

The choking smog remains a vivid memory for me, along with terrible traffic congestion and an overloaded service system, all of which forced many to "escape" the city.

During my recent visits to several locations in Hebei and Tianjin, the weather was still a topic of conversation -- but in a good way -- the crystal blue sky is now a new normal, thanks to collaborative efforts made over the past decade.

We can see a clear picture through simple data. In the past 10 years, Beijing has resettled 3,000 manufacturing enterprises, relocated or upgraded nearly 1,000 markets and logistics centers, met the target of a 15-percent reduction of permanent residents in six urban districts, and increased the proportion of newly established business entities in high-tech industries from 40.7 to 66.1 percent. Meanwhile, enterprises in Tianjin and Hebei have received 2.3 trillion yuan (about 323.6 billion U.S. dollars) in investments from Beijing.

With a more rational industrial layout, the region saw its gross domestic product grow 90 percent from 2013 to 10.4 trillion yuan in 2023.

In addition to thriving industries, residents are making a home in the region. Integration has not only helped Beijing become leaner, but also benefited neighboring dwellers with better education, medical treatment, infrastructure and overall competitiveness.

Before going to Tianjin, I paid a visit to Xiong'an, which is also a major player in the regional integration.

Spanning an area of 1,770-square-kilometers, the Xiong'an New Area, located about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, was established on April 1, 2017 and is dubbed the "city of the future."

Now, Xiong'an is growing fast and smart, with one foot already firmly set in the future.

Narrators of the urban planning department told me that Xiong'an's infrastructure system is powered by smart technologies, which enable it to avoid various "urban ills" in advance.

For example, when you drive on the road, traffic lights are designed to facilitate an efficient flow of traffic and the system will recommend the best route based on big data analysis. Even the internet celebrity cafe in Xiong'an is run by a robot barista...

In less than seven years, over 3,000 buildings have risen from the previously barren lowlands and shabby villages in Xiong'an. The centrally-administered state-owned enterprises have set up more than 200 subsidiaries and various branches in the area.

Xiong'an's planners told me that the city aims to create a habitable paradise for residents, with parks, amusement facilities, schools and convenience stores all available within a 15-minute walking distance.

"I could see my dream life take shape here, and I'm thrilled to embrace it in the years to come," Xu Mengchao, who runs a bio-pharmaceutical start-up in Xiong'an, told me in a jolly tone.