-- Establishment of Xiongan New Area
China announced on April 1, 2017 it would establish the Xiongan New Area in Hebei province, as part of measures to advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Aerial photo taken on May 14, 2019 shows the view of Gongzhuang Village of Bayu Township, Rongcheng County, Xiongan New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Relocation has officially started in Xiongan New Area, a new city in the making about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing. A large-scale building phase will start this year at Xiongan, authorities said. A 13-sq-km residential area will be built in the east part of Rongcheng County. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
This is a further new area of national significance after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the Shanghai Pudong New Area, according to a circular issued by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council.
The New Area, about 100 km southwest of downtown Beijing, will span three counties that sit at the center of the triangular area formed by Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei's provincial capital Shijiazhuang.
The move will help phase out functions from Beijing that are not related to the capital, explore a new model of optimized development in densely-populated areas, and restructure the urban layout in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, according to the circular.
Aerial photo taken on March 26, 2020 shows a concrete stirring station at the Xiongan New Area, north China's Hebei Province. As the COVID-19 epidemic eases in China and work and production is resuming gradually, the construction of Xiongan New Area has also gained steam in an orderly manner. On April 1, 2017, China announced plans to establish Xiongan New Area, located about 100 km southwest of Beijing, with the aim of building the area -- spanning Rongcheng, Anxin and Xiongxian counties -- into a national model of high-quality development and a new engine for the modern economic system. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao)
The New Area will cover around 100 square km initially and will be expanded to 200 square km in the mid-term and about 2,000 square km in the long-term.
--- 2018-2035 master plan for Xiongan New Area
China's central authorities have approved the 2018-2035 master plan for Xiongan New Area, stressing that its creation is significant to high-quality development and the building of the modern economic system in April 2018.
The plan was approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council.
The 2018-2035 master plan for Xiongan New Area is significant to build Xiongan into the national model of high-quality development and a new engine for the modern economic system, said the approval released on Wednesday.
The master plan is the fundamental guideline for the development, construction and management of the Xiongan New Area and should be strictly implemented, according to the approval.
The master plan, published in April 2018, has 10 chapters, namely the general requirements, developing scientific and reasonable layout, shaping the city landscape for a new era, building a beautiful natural ecology and environment, developing high-end and hi-tech industries, provision of quality shared public services, construction of a fast and highly-efficient transportation network, building a green and smart new city, fostering modernized city security system, and ensuring orderly and effective implementation of the plan.
The plan also lists overall development goals for the new area. By 2035, Xiongan will basically develop into a modern city that is green, intelligent and livable, with relatively strong competitiveness and harmonious human-environment interaction.
This aerial photo taken on March 30, 2018 shows a tourist pier in the Baiyangdian Lake in Xiongan New Area, North China's Hebei province.
-- Location of Xiongan New Area
The planning scope of Xiong'an New Area involves Hebei's Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties and part of their surrounding area. This new area will cover about 100 sq.km initially, and will be expanded to about 200 sq.km in the mid-term and about 2,000 sq.km in the long run.
Xiong'an New Area is surrounded by Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding. It features geographical advantages, convenient transportation, a favorable ecological environment and ample resources. It offers great space and basic conditions for development with a high starting point pursuant to high standards.
Xiongan New Area will cover around 100 square km initially and be expanded to 200 square km in the mid-term and about 2,000 square km in the long term with a population of 2 to 2.5 million.
Xiongan sits at the center of a triangular area with Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei's capital Shijiazhuang at the apexes.
-- Transportation plan
With good road and rail access, Xiongan commuters will be able reach any of the three cities in about 30 minutes, The site is only 55 km from Beijing's new airport.
The area features geological advantages, convenient transportation, an excellent ecological environment, ample resources and lots of room for development.
The Xiongan New Area is situated in a mid-latitude zone, and has a warm-temperate, monsoon-type continental climate. There are four distinct seasons, with an average annual temperature of 11.7°C. During the hottest month (July), the average temperature is 26°C. During the coldest month (January), the average temperature is -4.9°C. The Xiongan New Area has 2,685 total hours of annual sunshine and an average annual rainfall of 551.5mm, of which June to September accounts for 80 percent. The frost-free period lasts for about 185 days.
The Xiongan New Area is planning six railways, four high-speed rail stations, and one airport, all of which it plans to complete within the next three years. Until now, only the Tianjin-Baoding intercity railway, which opened at the end of 2015, has passed through the Xiongan area. Two of its existing stations, the Baigou Station and Baiyangdian Station, are located within the planned development zone for the Xiongan New Area. The addition of two high-speed rail stations, the Xiongan Station and Xiongan East Station, is also planned. The design diagrams for the Xiongan high-speed rail indicate a total of five railways passing through the Xiongan area. Of these, the Beijing-Xiongan intercity railway and Tianjin-Xiongan intercity railway will provide direct access from Xiongan to Beijing and Tianjin, respectively.
-- Highlights
1. Developing scientific and reasonable layout
The document says that priority shall go to ecological protection with the new area pursuing green development. With the total area of construction land set at about 530 square kilometers, Xiongan will strictly control land use and cap its land development intensity at 30 percent.
About 10 percent of the new area's land will be put under permanent protection as basic farmland, while the population density will be no more than 10,000 people per square kilometer.
2. Shaping the city landscape for a new era
Xiongan's architecture and layout will combine both traditional cultural elements and world's best design philosophies. Cultural heritages will be well preserved and properly utilized.
Archaeological parks, museums of ancient ruins and exhibition halls will be erected, and the protection of historic cities and villages will be integrated into city construction.
3. Building a beautiful natural ecology and environment
The document says that ecological restoration work will be started in Baiyangdian Lake, including restoring the lake's area to 360 square kilometers. Meanwhile, water pollution will be treated while the forest coverage rate will rise from 11 percent to 40 percent.
Moreover, a negative list will be implemented to close down and ward off high-pollution and energy-intensive production. In the long term, Baiyangdian National Park will be established.
4. Developing high-end and hi-tech industries
The document says the new area will be at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, map out tech industries at a high starting point, and push for coordinated development of the real economy, technological innovation, finance and human resources.
Major industries to thrive in the area will include information, biotechnology, new materials, modern services, and green agriculture.
Xiongan will strive to build first-class technology and innovation platforms in the world, with best research universities to foster talents and innovative policies and mechanisms to serve growth tech firms.
5. Providing quality shared public services
The new area will provide quality public facilities and services to its dwellers and form a diversified housing system. As a livable and business-friendly city, it will put property developments under strict control and establish a long-term mechanism to prevent speculation in the real estate market.
6. Construction of fast and highly-efficient transportation network
Xiongan plans to build a fast and highly-efficient transportation network. By high-speed railway, it will take only 20 minutes to travel from Xiongan to Beijing's planned new airport in Daxing district, 30 minutes to Beijing and Tianjin, and an hour to Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province.
7. Building a green and smart new city
In Xiongan, a green and low-carbon way of production, living, as well as building and administering the area will be promoted. For instance, advanced environmental-friendly and energy-saving materials and techniques will be widely used in the construction of the new area.
The plan also stresses building Xiongan into a digital city. The new area will step up the construction of intelligent infrastructure, and set up a smart mode of city administration and a management system for data asset.
8. Fostering modernized city security system
A modernized city security system will be established in Xiongan, with complete high-standard disaster-preventing and disaster-alleviating facilities, so that the new area can quickly respond to disasters and emergencies and develop safe and sound.
9. Ensuring orderly and effective implementation of the plan
Xiongan New Area is historical heritage for future generations. The country should be patient, and stick to this plan with a big view of history. Planning system should be improved, as well as related policy regulations and technical rules.
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