A group of journalists witnessed the great development Gaochun has achieved in recent years, on the morning of Dec. 5.
Eyeing on the good ecological resources and modern development of the district, Gaochun Urban Planning Bureau aims to build Gaochun into an oriental model for international slow cities, and also a culture and leisure demonstration zone for cities along southern Yangtze River.
Transportation hub of great importance
The 35-minute ride on the Light Rail Transport (LRT) S9 is totally worthwhile, since lots of beautiful villages line on both sides of the 53-kilometer journey. The Line S9 is currently on trial run, and it is scheduled to officially run by the end of this year. “When S7 is completed in the near future, Gaochun will link most of the suburban areas in southern Nanjing,” said Xiong Weiguo, Director of the Gaochun Urban Planning Bureau. Along with several railways and freeways under construction, Gaochun will serve as a transportation hub in neighboring cities of the Yangtze River Delta region.
Village lifestyle pioneers new travel mode
Yaxi of Gaochun is China’s first “international slow city”, and it is the headquarter of China’s Slow City Alliance. The local culture, ecology, life style of residents and old habits are all preserved well and promoted in Gaochun. Part of the “Beautiful Countryside” program, Gaochun also put much efforts to develop tourism and recreational resorts. With a series of RV park and self-driving tour bases put into service, Gaochun has marched into a new tourist attraction for leisure and holidays. According to the government’s plan, some 100 villages will join the “Beautiful Countryside” program during the 13th five-year plan period.
RV parks become new tourism attractions in Gaochun.
Qiqiao Bridge in Gaochun has been included in the city of municipal-level cultural relics protection units.
New energy vitalizes traditional industries
When tourism has yielded positive results, traditional industries are next to put onto agenda. Local villagers get free training, and traditional industries get necessary supports. A new energy production base was introduced to promote local industrial development. The base can not only help get rid of garbage, but also have economic returns. It can consume 500 tons of garbage every day, from which 140,000 kilowatt electricity was fed into the grid. Moreover, it creates jobs for villagers in Gaochun.
