Along the streets and alleys, a diverse array of night market stalls brings a strong sense of lively bustle. Throngs of people, along with twinkling starry light strings suspended overhead, create a vibrant highlight in the cityscape.
Night market events
In December 2023, Houpu Community in Huli District of Xiamen held the “Youth in Xiamen · Cross-Strait Youth Party and HOPE Taiwan Night Market”, where people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait engaged in joyful singing and dancing, tasting delicacies, and enjoying a happy time together. This event is not only a vivid practice of Huli District’s efforts to promote the construction of a cross-strait integrated development demonstration zone, but also a positive outcome of the district’s comprehensive management of urban villages and urban renewal projects.
Since the launch of the modernization project for urban villages in the Houpu Community in September 2022, a safe, happy, and friendly community suitable for living and working has been basically established, offering a “Houpu model” for modernization of China’s urban villages.
Stepping into the Houpu Community, you will be greeted by clean and tidy streets and orderly parked vehicles. Establishments such as basketball courts, garbage sorting stations, and resident activity squares have been completely renovated. Passing through a verdant pocket park, you will see stylish and attractive youth apartments painted in Morandi color favored by young people.
Houpu Community Ancestral Temple Square and space under the big banyan tree
In recent years, facing challenges such as high density of buildings and population in urban villages, weak urban infrastructure, insufficient public service facilities, and low environmental quality, Huli District has conducted research, surveys, and comprehensive assessments of all urban villages in the district. It has formulated the “Comprehensive Management Plan for Urban Villages in Huli District”. Based on the needs of spatial development, the 22 urban villages in the district are divided into three categories. Three demolition and reconstruction projects and three demolition and upgrading projects have been fully launched. The 16 renovation and upgrading projects focus on “two renovations and three upgrades” (renovation of infrastructure and internal environment, and upgrading of service system, management system, and cultural, tourism, and business integration brands), accelerating the comprehensive management work. Houpu Community is a typical example of this.
“In the process of the comprehensive management of urban villages, we place greater emphasis on a holistic approach and proceed with the “two renovations and three upgrades” in a more systematic and comprehensive manner, said Wu Weiwei, Secretary of the Party Committee of Houpu Community.
Wu Weiwei, Secretary of the Party Committee of Houpu Community
Houpu Community has created a well-planned spatial layout and scientifically planned supporting functions for daily life. Starting with cable management, it has implemented infrastructure renovation and internal environment enhancement, bidding farewell to the era of electrical “spider webs” in the sky and improving the environmental quality. It has also improved an intelligent sensing system and established a “X+N+1” smart management platform for urban villages. The community has innovatively set up a platform company for “state-owned enterprises + village collective economic organizations” to coordinate industrial operation and property management. The Houpu Community has basically completed the “two renovations.” It is currently “shoring up weak links” in areas such as business alliance, service management, shared spaces, and property management, striving to create a livable, business-friendly, intelligent, and harmonious community environment.
“We are delighted to see the sky getting bluer, the community facilities getting better, and the appearance of the village being greatly improved. Look how happy the elderly and children here are! The sense of gain, happiness, and security among residents continues to grow,” said local residents.
Streets in Houpu Community
With a year’s dedicated efforts, Houpu Community has transformed from an “urban village” into an “urban highlight.” This is a microcosm of China’s innovative exploration in advancing comprehensive management in urban villages, and it is also the distinctive “Huli experience” unique to Xiamen, China.
“The people’s aspiration for a better life is the goal we strive for.” Over the years, Huli District has actively proceeded with “significant upgrading on the island,” urban renewal, and modernization of urban villages, consistently exploring how to advance urban renewal by renovating and upgrading.
“The comprehensive management of urban villages in Huli District is more systematic, holistic, and thorough. It is also the first urban area to initiate and make the fastest progress in comprehensive management, demonstrating the spirit of ‘Huli leading the way,” said Wang Yusong, head of urban renewal at Huli District Construction Bureau.
Wang Yusong, head of urban renewal at Huli District Construction Bureau (fourth from the right)
Meanwhile, in the process of promoting the comprehensive management of urban villages, Huli District also attaches great importance to the protection of historical and cultural resources in urban villages, adhering to the principle of “giving priority to the protection of cultural relics, attaching primary importance to their rescue, making rational use of them and tightening control over them,” and establishing a scientifically categorized, strongly protective, and effectively managed system for the protection and inheritance of historical and cultural resources in urban villages. It preserves the historical traditions while improving the living environment of urban villages, fully tapping into and revitalizing the cultural heritage resources in urban villages, inheriting traditional customs and culture, and drawing inspiration from Chinese culture.
Huli District hopes that through its management efforts, it can not only address the shortcomings in living safety and quality, and supporting service facilities for non-native residents, making life in Huli more reassuring, secure, and heartwarming for all, but also provide impetus for achieving higher quality and sustainable development in the district.
Aerial view of Huli District
Since the reform and opening up, China has experienced the largest and fastest urbanization process in the world. Today, China’s urban development has shifted from “high-speed development” to “high-quality development,” entering a stage of upgrading and renovating existing stock and restructuring new construction. “People build their city, and the city serves its people.” Modernization of urban villages embodies the organic integration of the “people-centered” philosophy with the high-quality development of the city. As the birthplace of Xiamen Special Economic Zone, Huli District stands as an important platform for international development and a critical driving force for significant upgrading on the island. On this “golden land,” a beautiful chapter of urban renewal is being written.