March 5 marked the 42nd anniversary of Zhuhai progressing from a sleepy agricultural county in 1979 to spring forward as a haven for talent, youth, ecology, and leapfrog development.

The garden-style coastal city now has more than 2 million permanent residents. It has seen its economy multiply by 1,700 times to become one of China's top five cities in economic vibrancy. This is a far cry from a remote border town with one grain station, restaurant, and traffic light. Replacing them is a crisscross transportation network, all-around livelihood services, and enviable ecological environment.

Over the past four decades, the city has taken the lead in China in advancing the socialist market economy, compulsory education and social security, and to integrate urban-rural development. Reforms have been effected for State assets and enterprises and cross-border finance and business systems; more than 500 institution innovation achievements have been generated in Hengqin New Area alone.

Hengqin Financial Island represents Zhuhai in its prime today [Photo courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

Now open to the world, Zhuhai has trade relationships with 220 countries and regions. Participation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Belt & Road Initiative has strengthened with a stereoscopic transport network epitomized by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China), founded in 1996, has become one the five biggest airshows in the world.  

The city's innovation-oriented sci-tech accomplishments include maiden flights of the world's largest amphibious aircraft – the AG600, participation of Yunzhou-Tech unmanned surface vessels in Antarctic scientific investigation, launching of the "Zhuhai-1" remote sensing micro-nano satellite constellation, and settlement in Hengqin of the Greater Bay Area's Advanced Intelligent Computing Center.

Qiu Bojun, Lei Jun, and Dong Mingzhu are three of many aspiring talents who had their careers take off in Zhuhai via enterprises like Gree Electric Appliances and Kingsoft. More and more sharp minds and ambitious spirits are drawn by convenient transport, five proposed 100-billion-yuan ($15-billion) industrial clusters, and major development platforms.

To improve lifestyles of its residents, Zhuhai dedicated its most desirable spaces for public architecture such as the Opera House on Yeli Island and Zhuhai Museum & Planning Exhibition Hall adjoining Sea & Sky (Haitian) Park in Old Xiangzhou. The local government is publicly committed to solve even the smallest difficulties that might face residents.

In 2020, Zhuhai regional GDP increased by 3 percent year-on-year to 348.19 billion yuan ($54 billion) despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The local General Public Budget exceeded 100 billion yuan for the first time.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), the city will focus on Second Entrepreneurship and deeper cooperation with Macao. Zhuhai is to become a core city on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary, gateway hub of the Greater Bay Area, and internationalized special economic zone. Envisioned is a larger economic scale, inclusive culture, and attitude to development amenable to talents, youth, and the natural world.