HONG KONG — Tongzhou District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality has organized an exclusive presentation themed “Building a Demonstration Area for a World-class Harmonious and Livable City, a New-type Urbanization and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Coordinated Development” at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on November 28. The presentation has leveraged Hong Kong’s position as a window to international markets to present and promote the future development blueprint for the new sub-center for the nation’s capital city Beijing to the world, and to attract quality resources from Hong Kong and international markets to support the construction of the new sub-center. The presentation was jointly organized by the Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau and Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
A highlight of the event was a presentation by Mr. Cui Songguang, Executive Deputy District Mayor of the Tongzhou District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, introducing the new sub-center for the nation’s capital city Beijing, covering key points such as the central government requirements for planning and development, development advantages, as well as the business environment and cooperation opportunities available at the new sub-center.
Mr. Cui explained, “A meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on 27 May 2016 clearly stated that the development of the new sub-center for the nation’s capital city Beijing is a millennial plan for the nation and a nationally strategic matter, which shall maintain a global perspective, attaining international standards, adhering to Chinese characteristics and is positioned at a high level. The new sub-center for the nation’s capital city Beijing is planned, designed and developed with a spirit of creating history and pursuing excellence in the arts.”
The new sub-center for the nation’s capital city Beijing located at Tongzhou District in southeastern Beijing, covers a planned area of 155 sq. km. It is superbly located with Tiananmen Square just 20 km to its west, the capital airport 10 km to its north, the second airport in Beijing under construction 40 km to its south and the Tanggu Port, Tianijn 100 km to its east. Tongzhou has a rich historical and cultural heritage with a history spanning over 2,200 years. It was the starting point of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and when completed, the new sub-center would be conveniently accessible through local and national transportation networks.
In recent years, Tongzhou District of Beijing Municipality has insisted on starting from a high point, setting a high standard and maintaining a high level for the planning, development and management of the new sub-center for the nation’s capital city Beijing. It has set up 26 planning and design teams comprising leading international experts recruited from nine countries and regions in July 2016.
The planning and development of the new sub-center for the nation’s capital city Beijing is based on the requirements of setting the most advanced concept, the highest standard and the best quality, with the principles of green, low-carbon emissions, environmentally-friendly and sustainable development.
The new sub-center for the nation’s capital city Beijing focuses on four key functional areas, namely “administration, commercial services, cultural and tourism, as well as scientific and technological innovation,” aiming to build functional clusters of administration and services, financial innovation and headquarters, cultural and tourism, and to build a pilot zone of “Beijing’s City of Design” as well as an industrial development zone to advance scientific and technological innovation.
After the video on the development plan of the new sub-center for the nation’s capital city Beijing was shown, Mr. Shi Weiliang, Chief Planning Officer of the Urban Planning, Land and Resources Commission of Beijing Municipality, explained in detail the project blueprint. He pointed out that the project blueprint calls for developing with green, low-carbon emissions, environmentally-friendly and sustainable development concepts, while maintaining a global perspective, attaining international standards while adhering to Chinese characteristics, and is positioned at a high level.
At the event, the Tongzhou District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality also appointed nine well-known professionals and experts in Hong Kong as consultants for the new sub-center for the nation’s capital city Beijing project. They will be offering their expertise to help with city planning, city management and industrial development.
About Tongzhou District, Beijing
Unique strategic advantage in location
Tongzhou District, spans 906 sq. km. and home to around 10.5 million residents, is in southeastern Beijing. The New Sub-center for the Nation’s Capital City Beijing, with a planned area of 155 sq. km., is right in the core district of Tongzhou. It is in a superb location with Tiananmen Square just 20 km to its west, the capital airport 10 km to its north, the second airport in Beijing currently being built 58 km to its south and the Tanggu Port, Tianijn 100 km to its east.
Rich historical and cultural heritage
The more than 2,200 years’ history of this city started in the early Western Han Dynasty and historical architectural structures, such as the Dipamkara Pagoda and Bali Bridge, together bear witness to the vicissitudes this two-millennia old city has endured. It was the starting point of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and downstream were imperial docks where vessels stopped and cultures and resources were exchanged and memories were treasured. In this new era, the General Secretary of the Communist Party cited the valuable heritage of the Grand Canal handed down to us by our ancestors, its culture flowing through that should be carefully preserved, appreciated and passed on to following generations. And, thanks to efforts to build the Grand Canal Cultural Belt, the “Canal and Four Cities” (The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Lu County Old City, Tongzhou Old City, Zhangjiawan Old Town and Huozhou Old City) are returning to their former glory.
Effective internal and external transportation networks
The complex railway network of Beijing comprises more than 10 metro lines including the Batong Line, M6 Line and Yizhuang Line of the Beijing Metro, and also the planned S6 Line, M7 Line and M17 Line. As for the highway network, it includes expressways, including the Beijing-Harbin, Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Tianjin and Beijing-Qinhuangdao highways, enabling a fast convenient connection with surrounding regions.
An ecological environment blending blue and green
There are 13 rivers, big and small, in Tongzhou, with an aquatic area of about 9% of the total area of the district. The city has a green coverage rate of 58.2% and forest coverage rate of 28.4%. The attractive amalgamation of rivers, forests, green fields and lakes paints a wonderful picture of blue and green, a splendid ecological landscape naturally fresh and bright.
Modern comprehensive high quality public services
Tongzhou as a sub-centre in Beijing boasts high quality educational resources such as the Centennial Luhe High School as well as excellent medical services institutions represented by Anzhen Hospital and Luhe Hospital which have partnered in establishing a public healthcare service program.