Hangzhou's Binjiang District continues Asian Games glory with smart, charming style

HANGZHOU, China, Jan. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — “When I recall the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River (Jiangnan), Hangzhou brings back most of my memories, and when it comes to Hangzhou, Binjiang District is the most impressive.”

That would be the feelings for many sports officials, athletes and audience who visited the capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province during the 19th Asian Games.

The green, intelligent, frugal and civilized Asian Games has left an indelible mark in the mind of the attendees, who might have also been awed by Binjiang District, the host area of the Game’s main venue, which offered them a taste of the oriental romance in the digital era and a glimpse of a brand-new Jiangnan city with the splendid opening and closing ceremonies and high-tech and considerate services.

Binjiang District, literally a river-side area, is close to the Qiantang River, whose tidal bore is worldwide renowned. After the Asian Games, the district, also the integrated administrative area between Binjiang and Hangzhou National High-tech Industrial Development Zone, is developing with the sports spirit of “faster, higher, stronger, and more united,” consolidating its home-field positioning by nurturing a unique new Jiangnan city in the new era.

This new Jiangnan city boasts a world-class environment for sci-tech innovation.

During the Asian Games, a robot dog carrying discus shuttling back and forth in track and field attracted the attention of countless audiences and global media. This quadruped robot, which was put into use for the first time in the Asian Games’ history, comes from Unitree Robotics, a Binjiang-based company.

The district is home to a large number of high-tech enterprises like Unitree Robotics, according to the Information Office of the People’s Government of Hangzhou Binjiang District. This 30-year-old state-level high-tech zone only accounts for about 0.43 percent of the area of Hangzhou, but it has generated more than 12 percent of Hangzhou’s GDP. Meanwhile, its research and experimental development funds account for a remarkable ratio of about 10 percent of the local GDP, which leads to the birth of 72 listed companies and more than 2,200 national high-tech enterprises.

Shortly after the Asian Games, Binjiang continued its leading run in the new era, unveiling a grand blueprint for a high-tech hub: In the future, Jiangnan Sci-tech Center, a new sci-tech innovation center with a planned area of 37 square kilometers, will rise on the south bank of the Qiantang River.

Jiangnan Sci-tech Center is rich in innovation resources. In addition to the development of devices for extremely weak magnetic fields, the center is surrounded by a number of high-level scientific research institutions such as Baima Lake Laboratory, Binjiang Institute of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Intelligent Sensing Technology Innovation Center, and Binjiang Innovation Center of Hangzhou Dianzi University. They would form a strong carrier of the innovation ecosystem to empower the district to build a world-leading sci-tech park.

The strong industrial chain of sci-tech innovation has beefed up Binjiang’s leading role in Hangzhou’s economic development. In the first three quarters of this year, Binjiang’s GDP reached 176.58 billion yuan, an increase of 7.9 percent year on year. Its industrial added value above designated size rose 6.6 percent year on year, ranking first in Hangzhou.

This new Jiangnan city has an open investment environment in line with international standards.

In late October, Leapmotor, a new energy vehicle company independently cultivated in Binjiang, reached a strategic cooperation with the multinational group Stellantis in Hangzhou. Stellantis will invest 1.5 billion euros in Leapmotor, which is the largest single foreign investment in China’s emerging NEV makers in recent years.

Leapmotor is located in the Binjiang area of Zhejiang Pilot Free Trade Zone, which is one of the three major FTZ areas in Hangzhou. Seizing the high-level opening-up opportunities of FTZ, Binjiang has set its priority on the institutional opening-up throughout the whole industrial chain of digital trade.

In the past three years, the Binjiang FTZ area has seen the set-up of over 18,000 firms. Its actual use of foreign capital has exceeded 3 billion U.S. dollars, and its foreign trade has topped 220 billion yuan.

Globally-leading industries, world-class enterprises, and an entrepreneurial environment similar to Silicon Valley have made Binjiang a well-recognized international city.

This new Jiangnan city has a high-quality living environment.

Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River, Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium and Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Tennis Center, also known as “Big lotus” and “Little lotus” respectively, are in full bloom. Along with the “Little White Bowl” Binjiang Gymnasium, they make up a new urban landmark of Hangzhou after the Asian Games, showcasing a fresh Jiangnan style. These Asian Games venues have become convenient leisure destinations for locals to enjoy cultural and sports events.

There are many other places to enrich one’s leisure time in Binjiang. In Baima Lake Ecological Creative City, a national cultural industry demonstration zone, one can enjoy the deep integration of culture and technology in China Cartoon and Animation Museum, China Internet Writers Village, China International Cartoon & Animation Festival and other national cultural events.

In Xixing Ancient Town, the source of the Tang Dynasty poetry route in eastern Zhejiang, and Changhe Old Street, known as the fair for the scholars in Jiangnan, one can experience a Jiangnan culture journey through thousands of years featured with ancient charm and modern vibe.

In Binjiang’s Xingguang Industrial Community, the first modern industrial community in Zhejiang, enterprises and employees can not only have access to public services like shared conference rooms, but also enjoy supportive measures in education, medical care and child care. In addition, they can participate in various social-networking activities like Frisbee sports.

The community makes many young people from other places feel at home, and provides replicable and scalable experience for other cities in China to promote the modernization of community governance system and capacity.

With scenic sights, facilitating investment policies and considerate public services, Binjiang is continuing its Asian Games glory by playing a leading role in Hangzhou’s endeavor to promote high-quality development.

Image Attachments Links:

Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=443932

Caption: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium and Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Tennis Center, also known as “Big lotus”and “Little lotus”.

Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=443935

Caption: The Binjiang block of the Hangzhou area of Zhejiang Pilot Free Trade Zone