Wudang's city construction sees great changes after 70 years

Wudang district in Guiyang, in Southwest China's Guizhou province, has seen sweeping changes in its city construction during the past 70 years, thanks to its focus on small city development to promote rural economic and social development.

An aerial view of Wudang district in Guiyang [Photo/gzwd.gov.cn]

Through investment of 31.20 million yuan ($4.45 million) from 1998 to 2002, Wudang constructed 25 important pieces of infrastructure, effectively turning itself from a bare land into a place with modern facilities, such as wholesale markets, comprehensive plazas and expanded main roads.

By the end of 2015, the district had cultivated the city-level Yangchang demonstration town, the county-level Xinbao demonstration village, Dongfeng special town and Xiaba Binhe town (Binhe means "riverside" in Chinese), after industry-oriented transformation and governance started in 2006.

In 2014, an affluent society with the county as its unit was established in Wudang, due to effective solutions for structural problems that arise in large urban areas that include only small rural areas. 

In 2016, the urbanization rate for the permanent resident population in Wudang was 71.66 percent; in 2017, it went up to 75.27 percent and in 2018, it climbed to 77.24 percent. 

Wudang has always taken the initiative in innovating its reform tactics and sprucing up the district in an effort to improve the lives of its residents and achieve substantial economic and social development. 

Proper streets covering near 2.6 million square meters have been constructed in key towns and villages, such as Yangchang, Dongfeng and Xiaba, and 3.68 million square meters of housing have been provided for residents in these areas.