A view of Rongheyuerong Primary School in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. /courtesy of Guo Xiaowei
Guo Xiaowei, 23, still remembers when she gave up a chance to be a music teacher in her hometown in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and chose to be a music teacher at a primary school in Xiong'an New Area without hesitation as a graduate at Capital Normal University.
Guo said she thought of Xiong'an New Area as a promised land for ambitious people and she would like to do things that could allow her to experience happiness after overcoming challenges.
The 23-year-old became a music teacher at Rongheyuerong Primary School in Xiong'an in August 2021. Things were not going well at the beginning for Guo, who used to study music and do relevant internships in Beijing. "When I came here, I had to start from scratch, I had to teach children - who had almost no knowledge of music- to help them gain fundamental knowledge of the subject," said Guo, adding that she felt a bit upset at that time.
"But luckily I chose to believe that things will change as time goes by, and facts proved that two years later, the current situation has been greatly improved and I believe the future will be better and better," Guo said.
Dubbed a "city of the future," Xiong'an New Area marks its sixth anniversary on Saturday.
On April 1, 2017, China announced plans to establish Xiong'an New Area, located about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing. According to the plans, the New Area will be a green city on an area of 1,770 square kilometers, featuring innovation and providing a national model of high-quality development.
Aerial views of the business service center on March 31, 2023 (up) and its construction site on August 13, 2020, in Xiong'an New Area. /Xinhua
Construction in full swing
Over the past six years, the construction of Xiong'an has been in full swing with roaring machines and towering cranes seen at multiple construction sites.
"When I came to Xiong'an, I found that I could be a builder here. Everything was new and there were abundant tower cranes standing on the land," said Du Xiaohui, 40, who came to teach at Rongheyuerong Primary school in August 2021 after quitting her former job at another primary school in Handan City, north China's Hebei Province.
As for the reason she chose Xiong'an, Du said that the city is developing so fast that she wants to be a part of it and witness the city of the future.
"There were few lights on in the buildings when I came to the city, but things changed almost half a year later as more and more people settled down in the city and moved into the buildings," said Du.
"The bright lights in the neighborhood and shining street lamps warm residents including me," Du added.
Xiong'an has gradually become a green city featuring a complex and digital road network, new buildings and rapid growth in enterprises.
High quality and green development highlighted
The No. 901 driverless bus line in Xiong'an is undergoing trials before putting into operation. And like the driverless buses, Xiong'an is now home to 153 kilometers of "digital roads," where sensors on the lamp poles can monitor the number and speed of vehicles to reduce traffic jams.
While more than 510 billion yuan (around $74 billion) has been invested in 240 key projects in the area over the past six years, as many as 270 key projects are expected to be carried out in the area this year with a total investment of 664 billion yuan (around $97 billion), according to the area's WeChat account.
As the area's key role is to facilitate noncapital functions transferred from Beijing, including some company headquarters, state-owned enterprises have set up more than 140 institutions or departments in the area.
Xiong'an Branch of China Huaneng, for which Zhong Yiqing works for, was established to provide smart and systematic comprehensive energy services in the area.
The new area's plan and vision of developing green electricity citywide attracted Zhong, who followed in his father's footsteps to take part in the energy industry after completing his doctoral education. Now Zhong is determined to contribute to the energy construction in Xiong'an New Area.
As a key development hub in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the 2023 government work report said that the building of Xiong'an New Area was advanced according to high standards and quality requirements.
According to the 2018-2035 master plan for Xiong'an, it will be built into a national model of high-quality development and a new engine for the modern economic system.
"As a brand new city of the future, the development and changes in Xiong'an are unimaginable," said Guo, adding that she is prepared to overcome challenges and embrace opportunities to enjoy the benefits of the city's high-quality development.