WEDZ bolsters Hannan's new urbanization

Hannan district in Wuhan is home to plentiful rivers, lakes and fertile lands. [Photo provided to en.whkfq.gov.cn]

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress stated that the government is supposed to boost regional coordinated development and synergize the development of big, small and medium-sized cities based on existing city clusters and metropolitan areas.

Numerous manufacturing bases have been established along Shamao Avenue in Hannan district, which is where next-generation automobiles are sold to the rest of China.

Since January 2014, the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ) has been administering the district, focusing on industries, working mechanisms, city development, people's welfare and local ecology.

By the end of last year, the zone had set up 11 communities for relocated locals that included 21,000 houses in Hannan, raising the district's urbanization rate to 86.3 percent, 22 percentage points higher than before.

Quan Wei, a Hannan local born in the 1990s, along with his cousin, is currently working on Wuhan's Metro Line 16, which is expected to better connect Hannan with the urban areas of the city.

As a technician, Quan Wei needs to communicate with construction workers at the site every day. Quan Yu, Quan Wei's cousin, said it was a fantastic experience to be able to make his hometown a better place to live.

Quan Yu recalled the muddy, bumpy roads during his time in high school, which made the trek to class an unpleasant experience. The road is now wide and flat.

A group of high-tech enterprises specializing in new energy vehicles, general aviation, high-end manufacturing, and new materials have sprung up along Shamao Avenue, such as Lotus, Xpeng, and CALB. The avenue is expected to become the next 100-billion-yuan ($14.11 billion) avenue in WEDZ.

Among the seven industrial parks in the zone, four are located in Hannan district. "In recent years, promotional efforts in the district have been stepped up, and more and more enterprises are willing to invest. The park used to attract many tier-two and -three auto part suppliers, but now the number of tier-one suppliers is also increasing," said Tang Chuanyong, an official from the Intelligent Connected and Electric Vehicle Industrial Park in the district. The park is already home to 760 enterprises, including 495 industrial enterprises.

It took WEDZ five years to invest 13.8 billion yuan in the protection of 26 major lakes and rivers in Hannan district, in order to eliminate Grade-V water. Maying River, one of the aforementioned rivers, has become a desirable place for people looking to relax, ride bicycles, run, or go boating, fishing, or camping.