Author Archives: wp

Hangzhou launches digital manufacturing center

The Yangtze River Delta (Hangzhou) Manufacturing Digital Ability Center was launched at the 2022 China Industry Big Data Conference held on Aug 11.

The center, which was built by the Zhejiang economic and information department, the Hangzhou economic and information bureau and the government of Xiaoshan district, aims to integrate resources in the manufacturing sector and accelerate the digitalization of manufacturing in the Yangtze River Delta region.

The center has already attracted 39 intelligent manufacturing service providers and employed 142 experts from universities, research institutes and manufacturing firms.

The center is able to provide services related to matchmaking, roadshow organization, project assessment and policy consultancy for firms. It has also amassed more than 150 high-quality digitalization scenarios for manufacturing firms.

Hangzhou generates $90b in service added value in H1

Tourists camp on a grassland in a mountainous area in Hangzhou, capital of East China’s Zhejiang province. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

The added value of Hangzhou’s service sector in the first half of this year was 612.1 billion yuan ($90.22 billion), a year-on-year rise of 5.4 percent, according to a report recently released by the Hangzhou statistics bureau.

The city’s added value in its finance sector in H1 increased by 7.8 percent year-on-year, and the city’s added value in its wholesale and retail industry saw a year-on-year rise of 5.4 percent in the same period.

Many firms have said that the growth can be partly attributed to a slew of measures taken by the government of Hangzhou.

During the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year, Hangzhou launched a policy to provide rent exemptions for some small and medium-sized firms in the service sector to help them tide through the difficult period.

In addition to supporting policies, Hangzhou firms in the service sector have also launched distinctive products to attract customers.

Hangzhou Asian Games licensed products going greener

The “zero carbon” license of the Congcong doll. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

The 19th Asian Games, which is expected to be held in Hangzhou, capital of East China’s Zhejiang province from Sept 23 to Oct 8, 2023, recently unveiled its first “zero carbon” licensed products.

The dolls, in the shape of the Games’ mascots Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen, have passed the evaluation of professional institutions and gained digital zero-carbon recognition.

Zero-carbon products are those that offset carbon dioxide emissions generated by production through purchasing low-carbon raw materials, transforming workshops for energy saving, and purchasing carbon emissions indicators so as to achieve “zero carbon emissions”.

Relying on professional life cycle assessment measures, the carbon emissions of a single Congcong doll were previously estimated to be 1.59 kilograms, mainly coming from its raw materials and the packaging process, accounting for 55.99 percent and 42.19 percent, respectively.

The carbon emissions of each Congcong can be reduced by 0.15 kg via the factory using photovoltaic power and the workshops realizing energy saving transformation. Coupled with the purchase of internationally-recognized emissions reduction of 1.44 kg, the plush toy will produce no carbon emissions.

In addition to the mascot dolls, the Hangzhou Asian Games also updated a dazzling variety of 40 kinds of new products in August, including furniture, toys, clothing, bags, crafts, badges, food, sporting goods, and electronic products.

Licensed zero carbon products of the Hangzhou Asian Games are displayed. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

The riverside outdoor colourful court in West Hangzhou becomes the popular sports destination

In Cangqian Sub-district of Yuhang District, Xianlin Port Colourful Sports Park at the confluence of rivers was officially put into operation in July, immediately attracting citizens to come to exercise.

Xianlin Port Colourful Sports Park used to be a terraced space and an ordinary square, and it was open, lacking use functions, with low utilization rate. In February this year, the reconstruction was officially carried out, which took 140 days to complete. The park has two badminton courts, eight tables for table tennis, one waterside fitness footpath, one landscape trestle, and one service station.

In the evening, 16 lights illuminate the colourful plastic badminton courts with wide field of vision. Citizens come to play badminton and table tennis after supper.

The basketball court opposite the park is very popular, forming a fitness circle that benefits the people.

The national excellent handball players from the middle schools gathered in Hangzhou

Recently, 2022 China Middle School Student Handball Championships & National Youth Traditional School Championships (U16/U18) came to an end in Jiande Yanzhou Middle School (Meicheng Campus).

It is reported that, there are five groups in the championships. After 16 years of fierce competition, five middle schools in Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai and other places won the champions.

The successful holding of this event can not only build a mutual exchange and learning platform for young handball players, cultivate the athletes’ will of solidarity & friendship and indomitable struggle, and promote the further development of handball in Zhejiang, to warm up in advance for the handball event of the upcoming Asian Games.

Zhejiang “Cloud University for the Seniors” was officially put online

At Zhejiang Province Seniors’ Education Promotion Conference held in Shaoxing on August 16, the application scenario of the digital reform of “Zhejiang Cloud University for the Seniors” was officially put online with support of demonstration. This was the first multi-disciplinary collaborative application scenario for the seniors’ education in China.

The digital application project has established a “1+2+5+N” application scenario architecture to make all-round display of the achievements of reform in seniors’ education in “Zheli Healthcare” and realize one-stop integrated on-screen education for the seniors. Senior citizens can not only study via big screen of TV at home, but can also study and interact via mobile terminal of “Zhejiang Government Affairs” App anywhere at anytime.

The App has launched a variety of functions, including course learning, entertainment activities and interactive classrooms, and supports live streaming to make it convenient for users to learn. In addition, the App offers local characteristic courses, such as Shaoxing Opera and Jinhua Opera. The Cloud University for the Seniors enables seniors to receive education and helps to create the gold brand of “Zheli Healthcare”.

Binjiang provides top-grade built-in sports facilities near residential quarters

The Most Beautiful Track (Photo by Xu Qingqing)

Built-in sports facilities, including spacious courts, trendy skating parks and flat footpaths, have been newly built near Wentao Road along Binjiang River, to meet adults’ demands for sports and exercises. Citizens may practice Tai Chi in the park, play basketball, volleyball or tennis on the courts and cycle on the cycling paths while enjoying the beautiful river scenery and the fresh coolness of the shady paths. In addition, sand pits and sport climbing facilities have been provided at riverside parks for the entertainment of the kids. These sports facilities have created small spaces for leisure activities for people of all age brackets. Binjiang has been known as a pacesetter in the innovative development. These sports facilities have undoubtedly brought breath of life to Binjiang and enable employees to enjoy sports and fitness near their companies and homes. Appropriate blank and greening space enhance people’s sense of gains and happiness and will eventually evoke their sense of belonging.

Hangzhou adds nine foreign exchange and cultural experience points

Hangzhou has recently added nine second-group foreign exchange and cultural experiences points, namely, Tangqi Ancient Town, Xixi National Wetland Park, Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, Qingshan Village, Hemu Community, China Digital Music Base, Fuwen Township Central Primary School, Artinno Town and Lin’an Museum, bringing the total number to 21.

Through strict online and offline selection, nine additional foreign exchange and cultural experience points were chosen to facilitate overseas and domestic friends to perceive and fit into life in Hangzhou in respects of software and hardware conditions, level of internalization and sense of experience. The new experience points, including Xixi Wetland Park that involves diverse cultures, Tangqi Ancient Town that introduces Chinese silk to the world, and Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Venue Cluster that combines Qiantang River, lotus and other Hangzhou specific elements with the design concept, have vividly narrated the story of Hangzhou, showcased the charm of the city and enhanced Hangzhou’s international influence.

Elderly rock musician turned welfare activist

Dong Yunrong, founder of the rock band Yaogun Nainai, was selected to be the 2022 Chinese filial piety figure during the 8th Chinese Filial Piety Cultural Festival in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province last week, according to chinanews.com.

Dong, now 78, has actively participated in public welfare undertakings and brought joy to her audience for more than a dozen years.

In 2007, Dong picked up guitar after her husband passed away, and sought others to play with her.

Two years later, a band was established by Dong and her peers under the name Quyuan Fenghe, referencing one of the 10 scenic spots of the Hangzhou West Lake where the band’s rehearsals often took place.

“Our members have always been mainly composed of the elderly, and now the average age is close to 70,” said Dong.

As the band became famous, they started to appear on TV shows and a production team suggested that the band should go for younger style music.

Dong and her peers eventually decided to try out the style of rock and roll, and changed the band name to Yaogun Nainai.

“At first I didn’t know much about rock music, but later on I gradually found the feel for it,” said Dong.

The band also had to add new instruments such as drums, electric guitar and bass to accommodate the new style.

In 2011, Dong and two other members of the band were invited to perform for a public welfare activity for the first time at a school for the blind in Hangzhou.

As soon as the students heard the music and performance on stage, they got excited and sang along.

“After that performance, I learned that I can help others just by playing guitar and singing,” said Dong, adding that she was deeply touched by the students’ love for music.

Since then, Dong and her band have participated in all sorts of public welfare activities. They took their performances to communities, welfare homes and orphanages, and have used their music to bring comfort to many.

“In the process of volunteering and performing for welfare activities, I sometimes simply forget about my age,” said Dong.

Dong does not believe the elderly to be a demographic group that can only passively wait for and receive the services of others.

Since last year, Yaogun Nainai has been cooperating with Hangzhou’s “blue vest” volunteer program aimed at helping more elderly people learn to use smart phones and identify scams.

“I think the elderly should keep up with current trends. So while we perform like this, we are also helping others who are of our age,” said Dong.

Hangzhou to add 100 parking spaces near subway stations

[Photo/Facebook account: Hangzhoufeel]

Hangzhou plans to add 100 parking spaces and 10,000 non-motor vehicle parking spots at the entrances of subway stations in order to improve public transportation services.

The city’s Qiantang district has completed a project in which it added 1,080 parking spaces at 10 entrances of Gongshang University Yunbin Station, Hezhuang Road Station, Middle Qingliu Road Station, Xiashajiangbin Station and South Wenhai Road Station.