This week I had the chance for a first visit of Yaxi which lies in the jurisdiction of Gaochun (高淳) county. Gaochun is located around 90 minutes away from Nanjing, the capital of the fast growing Jiangsu province. Jiangsu is not only the recipient of the highest amount of foreign direct investment in the country, but also one of the most prosperous provinces all over China. However, the region is undergoing a tremendous change as a lot of land has been transformed into factory, residential or commercial areas and many young people are leaving the countryside for a more promising future in the neighboring fast growing cities. Therefore, many rural communities and towns are under great pressure of urban sprawl, economic marginalization and various environmental challenges.
Yaxi Slow City in Gaochun, Nanjing, P.R. China (Foto: Daniel Fäh)
Miss Chen, the local representative of the Slow City, picked me up from the small Gaochun bus station and drove me to Yaxi. The 48 kilometers long scenic road has been constructed after the county was certified the first Slow City of China last year. The road links all six villages which belong to Yaxi town and hosts with a total population of 22'000 residents. The road passes through beautiful scenery with organic plantations of tea, pears, grapes and many other plants. In spring, when the rape flowers blossoms are starting to open, Yaxi attracts most visitors in the year, not only from Jiangsu, but also increasingly from many parts in China and abroad. Last year Yaxi had welcomed totally 300'000 visitors and local accommodation facilities have been built recently.
Back in Gaochun, I was guided by representatives of Yaxi and Gaochun for a pleasant walk in the old street of the town. Many stalls were selling local products, ranging from locally crafted "tiger shoes" or feather fans to freshly made sweets or homegrown fruits. Such authentic and laid-back atmosphere of the street has become rare in the booming cities of the Chinese East Coast, but still very common in many rural counties and towns. Yaxi, which is very closely linked to Gaochun, has attracted a lot of media attention when it received the first Slow City certificate last year and the government already started to promote learning from Yaxi County. However, the Slow City in Gaochun County is still "under construction" and the way it will develop is still very open. The local government recently commissioned a study to a company in Beijing for further development potential of the Slow City. The results will soon be ready and the local government and residents have to decide which development path they will go in the future.
Gaochun Old Street (Foto: Daniel Fäh)
How does the idea of slow cities, a Western concept aiming for sustainable development and improving residents' quality of life, contribute to the development of Yaxi? What does slow city mean in the context of Chinese development and modernization? And can Yaxi be a model for other small cities and local communities in China and other developing countries to promote an alternative way of development? The field trip next year will be a great opportunity to learn more about Yaxi and to understand the potential of slow cities in China. We may also have the chance to exchange ideas about endogenous and sustainable development of “slow” towns in China and Switzerland.
Impressions from China`s first slow city (Foto: Daniel Fäh)
Daniel Fäh
