Scenery of Wuzhen. (Photo by Geng Feifei/China Daily)
Wuzhen is about to welcome more than 2,000 guests from all over the world attending the 2nd World Internet Conference from Dec 16 to 18. [Special coverage]
Despite being a small town, Internet development in Wuzhen is very advanced.
Full coverage WiFi, QR code, mobile online payment method and an Internet hospital are not just theoretical ideas but part of the city's daily life.
While becoming a smart city, Wuzhen hasn't lost its unique traditional culture that history left. Historical architecture, bridges and its beautiful waterways are well protected and are attractive to tourists around the world.
Wuzhen is the last town to have its own road to other cities in Tongxiang city. In the 1990s, the town was burdened with many lay-offs since many factories were closed down.
At that time, the town was struggling and needed a solution.
President Xi Jinping, who was secretary of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the CPC back then, visited Wuzhen five times in six years to do field research on its development.
He said tourism is Wuzhen's way out of the doldrums, and that it required the government to protect this old town as historical heritage.
The balance among economic development, the environment and historical culture protection is crucial to the town, he stressed.
Years later, in 2007, Wuzhen is officially open to the public as a scenic spot for travel, vacation and business conferences.
In 2013, Wuzhen Grand Theater was built for 40 million yuan, and has since become a cultural landmark.
The theater has held the Wuzhen International Theatre Festival three times in consecutive years, with audiences of over 750,000 people watching over 40 plays in total.
This dramatic turnaround in Wuzhen's fortunes gives it a wonderful new face even as it welcomes the world.
