Ningbo strives to become modern coastal metropolis

A view of Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: nbfb0574]

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang recently came up with the goal of becoming a modern coastal metropolis.

The city has been on the fast developmental track in recent years. Official statistics show that Ningbo's gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 1.01466 trillion yuan ($156.1 billion) in 2017 to 1.45949 trillion yuan in 2021, while its fiscal revenue jumped from 241.58 billion yuan to 326.44 billion yuan over the same period. Ningbo Zhoushan Port handled 1.224 billion metric tons of cargo in 2021, topping the global rankings for the 13th straight year.

Culture and tourism integration

Ningbo has made strides in the integration of culture and tourism sectors.

Chengyang village in its Yinzhou district has taken on a new look following the commencement of a design campaign initiated last July by Cong Zhiqiang, an associate art professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing.

The group led by Cong has instilled a sense of cultural creativity among the local villagers, empowering them to spruce up their surroundings with art.

In 2021, Chengyang attracted more than 60,000 tourists, lifting the annual income of villagers to 80,000 yuan.

Green development

Ecological conservation has always been a priority of the local government.

Last December, 22 local companies made the list of the sixth batch of national green factories released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, accounting for 44 percent of the province's total. The number of listed companies was more than any other municipality with independent planning status in China.

In addition, three supply chains from the city were designated national green supply chains, while 32 products were honored as green design products.

Common prosperity

The local government has also been exploring ways to boost rural development as part of its broader push to pursue common prosperity.

An innovative approach is facilitating digitalization in the village management and services. In Shanglijia village, Ningbo's Yinzhou district, a digital platform has been launched to manage the village and make services related to security, elderly care and medical care more accessible.