Shanxi province has made significant progress over the past year in advancing county-centered urbanization, aiming to create a model that aligns with modernization goals while maintaining local characteristics.

"The urbanization rate of counties in the province has steadily increased by 1 percent annually," said Chang Shuming, Party secretary of Jinzhong, a city in Shanxi, and deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature. Chang spoke to China Daily during the ongoing annual session of the congress.

"Rates of centralized water supply, heating, gas supply and sewage treatment have all surpassed 97 percent," he said.

Shanxi has boosted its counties' capacities by implementing more than 1,200 infrastructure projects and strengthening regional public services.

"In July 2024, Jinzhong set up a special working group to promote urbanization centered on counties," Chang said. "Last year, the city's housing and construction bureau launched 215 projects with a total investment of 55.6 billion yuan ($7.66 billion), accelerating urban renewal efforts such as renovating old neighborhoods, upgrading pipeline networks, improving urban-rural roads and enhancing public infrastructure."

Xiyang county was named a pilot site for county-level urban planning and construction by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in 2023.

In October last year, during an on-site event in Xiyang that focused on developing livable counties, the county's innovative approaches, including improved neighborhood governance and a "smart city management" platform, were highly praised.

"In the future, we will continue integrating industrial hubs, population centers, health and wellness facilities, and age-friendly communities," Chang said. "We aim to accelerate rural revitalization, boost county economies and advance high-quality urbanization."

Jinzhong has led the way in integrating county and rural development, with the economic output of its nine county-level regions accounting for 89 percent of the city's total.

The city has prioritized strengthening county economies by developing one to two dominant industries and one emerging sector in each county.

"We developed Pingyao as a cultural tourism hub and Zuoquan as an ecological conservation area," Chang said. "In 2024, Pingyao county welcomed more than 10 million visitors, an 11 percent increase year-on-year. Meanwhile, 200 painting sites in the Northern China International Outdoor Painting Base in Zuoquan county generated around 45 million yuan in revenue."

Pingyao, home to the UNESCO-listed Pingyao Ancient City, attracted nearly 50,000 foreign tourists last year. Shuanglin Temple and Zhenguo Temple, both featured in the game Black Myth: Wukong, also saw significant increases in visitors and tourism revenue.

"We aim to highlight the city's historical and cultural significance, as well as its ecological value, to build county-level tourism economies," Chang said. "We launched the 'Follow Wukong to Tour Jinzhong' route, integrating ancient architecture and scenic sites while upgrading tourism services to convert visitor numbers into sustained economic growth."

Jinzhong hosted 65 million domestic tourists last year, a 16.2 percent increase from the previous year, with total tourism revenue reaching 66.3 billion yuan, up 27.5 percent year-on-year.

Chang emphasized the cultural tourism industry's role as both a key economic driver and a source of public well-being.

Contact the writers at [email protected]