A massive development tipped to have cost some £68billion was dubbed “city of the future” by China’s State Council.
Xiong’an, located in north China’s Hebei Province, has been built to boost the development of the area as well as to relieve the country’s capital Beijing of non-essential functions. And architects and designers have done so by crafting a city aimed at being innovative, eco-friendly and “smart”.
Indeed, aerial pictures show a highly developed city, with residential areas, skyscrapers and new infrastructure. Schools, hospitals, and universities are also being moved into the city to inject life into the vast, vacant landscape.
Yet, Xiong’an’s streets are populated for the large part by workers forced to relocate there by their employers, who themselves were reportedly ordered by the government to set up shop.
For many, the reality is far from the government’s grand vision. One resident, Max Wang, summed it up in a single word when speaking to The Times: “Boring.”
Sent to Xiong’an by her employer, Wang described the lack of social life in stark terms: “Young people all work overtime, and there aren’t many opportunities for leisure or socialising. As for finding a boyfriend, you’ll just have to hope your friends can help.”
The futuristic city was a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, designed to his exacting specifications.
It boasts lightning-fast fibre optic connections, facial recognition systems, and accommodation tailored for self-driving cars.
Yet, it serves as a stark reminder that a city is more than just bricks, mortar, and glass.
The government is trying various strategies to increase the population, as its streets remain seemingly empty for the most part. Property owners, for example, are required to live in their homes, while walls across the city are plastered with slogans branding Xiong’an as a “thousand-year plan of national significance.”
Rent subsidies are being offered to attract businesses, but even those enticements fall short.
Small business owner Zhang Cheng told the broadsheet that while the offers were tempting, the quality of life for his employees remained a concern. He asked: “Will they want to work here? Many enjoy social activities — dating, eating out, karaoke.
“Xiong’an doesn’t offer any of that at the moment. Even with hiring subsidies, if I asked my staff to relocate here, many probably wouldn’t agree.”
As residents and potential investors sceptical remain sceptical about the the potential of this city, Xi is now scrambling to convince stakeholders that the city won’t become an expensive failure.
At a summit held in Xiong’an late last year, authorities unveiled a sprawling city management system with four district committees, 21 municipal departments, and oversight from 25 government agencies.
A statement declared: “A city management system that matches high-quality construction, high-level management, and high-quality relocation and development has been essentially established.”
But as critics have pointed out, slogans and committees aren’t likely to spark excitement among young people.
Xiong’an’s population currently stands at 1.2 million, according to state media, but the city is being built to house five million.
Even then, the current figure likely includes the existing residents of the three counties that the development has absorbed.
To boost the numbers, major government departments are expected to relocate to the city by 2035.
Several state-owned enterprises, such as China Satellite Network Corporation and China National Chemical Corporation, have already moved or are in the process of doing so. In addition, nine universities, including Beijing’s University of Science and Technology and the China University of Geosciences, have been ordered to establish campuses in the city.