Region on the road to modernization with core projects to enhance people's sense of happiness

Wall-based artwork is renovated in an old community in Yunyan district in Guiyang. CHEN JIAJIA/FOR CHINA DAILY

Guiyang in Guizhou province has made remarkable efforts in boosting modern civilization by implementing its all-around urban development plan and launching a series of key projects to renovate infrastructure, beautify its environment and improve people's livelihoods and sense of happiness, said local officials.

The city is setting up a development layout, consisting of a 15-minute living circle covering education, culture, health and sports, food, housing and transportation for both the young and elderly, two lots comprised of parking and farmers' markets and the "three reforms "focusing on the renovation of old communities and back streets and alleys.

Every morning, Yang Fen, a resident in the city's Baiyun district, goes out and walks less than 10 minutes to the Heli Huimin Fresh Market to buy fruits and vegetables.

"It's very convenient to buy vegetables. There are fresh food stores downstairs and many choices within a 10-minute walk," he said, adding that education and medical care in the community are also convenient to reach with two nearby kindergartens and 10 clinics such as the Yuncheng Street Community Health Service Center.

Tan Qing, who lives in Yunyan district, has a strong impression of the new smart parking lot on Yan'an West Road.

"In the past, parking on Yan'an West Road was very difficult. Now that the smart parking lot is activated, I no longer worry about parking problems. It has solved a major issue that plagued the residents of our old community," Tan said.

A smart parking lot is generally built beside an urban rail transit hub. The owner can park their vehicle in the parking lot, take a train to work, and then return to the parking lot to drive home, which can also ease urban traffic congestion.

A new look

Since its opening on Dec 11, Qingyun Market has become a hot spot destination for visitors in Guiyang. Citizens go to the place for "check-in "and the average daily flow of people remains at around 20,000, making it a new internet celebrity landmark.

In the past, Qingyun Market was a 1-kilometer pedestrian street built in 1927. It became a famous night market snack road within the city, carrying urban nostalgia and food memories of Guiyang people for nearly 100 years.

However, further development of the road was restricted due to an array of problems such as the expansion of the city, aging infrastructure, insufficient services and environmental pollution.

In February 2021, in order to further enhance the image of the city and create a new calling card for the streets of Guiyang, Nanming district started the renovation and upgrading of the Qingyun Road.

The renovation of the pedestrian street involves three buildings, nine units and 382 households.

"Before the renovation, we went door-to-door to publicize the situation and introduced the relevant issues of the renovation of the old community to the residents in the area," said Dai Xiuying, Party secretary of the Xingguan Road Community neighborhood committee.

Residents watch a cultural performance on the Qingyun Road in Nanming district in Guiyang. ZHAO SONG/FOR CHINA DAILY

She said that workers of the renovation project carefully observed the surrounding environment including pipeline blockage, safety, greening and other issues, gave feedback to the managing department, and tried to solve the problems as much as possible during the transformation.

Song Yaping, who lives at No 79 Qingyun Road, moved here from Yunyan district in 1994. Song has a deep attachment to the Qingyun Road.

"In the past, there was a night market downstairs, so the houses here were very easy to rent. But it also led to a floating population. By replacing the canopy, installing fitness equipment, and implementing pipe network renovations, we can restore a good living environment for the common people," Song said. For businessman Yan Shengzong, the development of Qingyun Road is a testimony to his career. In 2005, Yan started a grilled fish business, and now he has become an established merchant on the road.

Along the way, he witnessed the whole process of the night market from being chaotic and congested to being well regulated and orderly.

"In the past, the streets were dirty and cluttered, and customers would sometimes talk about problems such as the poor external environment and the inconvenience of parking." Yan said, adding that the noisy external environment affected customers' consumption experience to a certain extent.

"The renovation work will inevitably have a short-term effect on the surrounding businesses or residents, but in the long run, the renovation and upgrading of the Qingyun Road will be beneficial to our merchants," Yan said.

On Jan 20, the Qingyun Road Pedestrian Street Opening Event and the Launch Ceremony of the 2022 Guiyang Chinese New Year Festival were held.

Now, the road is wide and clean with neat and bright storefronts. A total of 47 new stores were introduced, 10 business formats have been upgraded and renovated and 160 merchants were introduced, with the street not only retaining its nostalgic memories, but also integrating trendy business formats.

Promoting city functions

Since 2021, the city has launched 752"15-minute life circle" projects, built 20,122 public parking spaces, completed the standardized transformation and upgrading of 30 farmers' markets, and optimized and adjusted 14 Huimin fresh food supermarket outlets.

It has renovated old communities of 50,000 households, improved 360 back streets and alleys and built 70 model streets.

Guiyang aims to build a National Civilized Model City on the basis of striving for the "five consecutive championships" of a national civilized city in 2023.

Hu Zhongxiong, member of the Standing Committee of the Guizhou Committee of the Communist Party of China, Party secretary of Guiyang and secretary of the Party working committee of Guian New Area, said that the construction of "one circle, two lots and three reforms" is closely related to the people.

"We should adhere to the people-centered development thinking, with responsibility, emotion and conscience. By responding to their thoughts and needs, people can enjoy better services and a more comfortable life," he said.