Smart town of the future set for allaround success

Hongqi smart town, located on the site of FAW Group's headquarters in the city of Changchun in Jilin province, has become a magnet for those in search of a smart town of the future.

Hongqi smart town is named after China's iconic auto brand Hongqi, the best-selling subsidiary of FAW Group long used as the parade cars for China's top leaders at national celebrations.

The town held its launch ceremony in August 2018, which was co-organized by provincial, municipal governments and FAW Group. "It aims to be a smart and green town integrating smart manufacturing, automobile culture, entrepreneurship and innovation, personnel training and associated industries into one," said Xu Liuping, FAW Group's chairman.

"It connects new areas like big data and AI with real economy," he added.

It is not the first time FAW Group has cooperated with governments to spark growth in Jilin province. Local authorities said that after the development zone named after the automobile industry was built in Changchun, Hongqi town would be another feature.

The revival of the time-honored brand and measures to support innovation are part of the town's work plan.

It positions itself as a tourist spot with wide-ranging offerings from the Hongqi smart factory, on-site cultural activities and historic buildings.

Using facilities and technologies from FAW Group's headquarters, the town can function as a platform where startups and innovators converge to promote China's industry.

Hongqi town is fostering ties with laboratories and universities in the areas of new energy vehicles, smart vehicles and shared vehicles. The town is also striving to build four technology demonstration platforms and seven demonstration streets, which have a promising future in automobile technology.

A slew of projects such as the automobile international education, training and practice base as well as an international exhibition and exchange center are also on Hongqi town designers' agenda.

Hongqi town boasts high-tech homes and an environmentally friendly living space. It is located in Changchun's subcenter with a high-quality mixed-use development. The town has space for work, scientific research, residences, tourism and entertainment, commerce and finance businesses, and cultural exhibitions.

Local authorities and FAW executives are committed to making Hongqi town a globalized, beautiful, smart and livable area. "Hongqi town will provide support in areas such as education, culture, sports, health and welfare to residents," they said.