Meishan Blends Antiquity With Modernity

With its unstoppable march towards building a modern socialist state, China is rebuilding cities and revitalising the villages. Many cities have economically boomed and people are enjoying prosperity. The low-profile cities have become new models of rapid growth. The central, provincial and local governments are putting their best foot forward to close the gap between the urban and rural places so there is equitable and inclusive development and no one is left behind. One unique characteristic of evolving cities is that they have well-blended modernity and ancientry. Glitters of modern life are not allowed to put the ancient culture, values and civilisational virtues on the back burner.

With 2,300 years of urban history, Meishan is a perfect example of this astonishing combination. Located in the southwest of the Chengdu Plain, it is the youngest prefecture-level city in Sichuan Province. It contains two districts - Dongpo and Pengshan and four counties - Renshou, Hongya, Danleng and Qingshen—covering an area of 7,140 square kilometers. Unlike in Nepal, in China, a municipality is bigger than a district. In 2023, the total population of Meishan city stands at 2.955 million, and the urbanisation rate is at 51.6 per cent, It is located in the land of abundance, enabling it to be agriculturally prosperous in ancient times and industrially well off in the 21st century.

First civilised city

 Four elements—rich history and culture, superior location, an open platform for industrial agglomeration, and magnificent natural ecology—have vastly transformed Meishan, earning it a number of appellations: a national civilised city, the national health city, the national forest city, and the province's open development demonstration city. This exhibits its grandeur and countless feats in diverse fields of life.

It has been known as ‘the city of thousands of years of poetry’ and ‘the first state of humanity.’ The Chinese people feel proud to state that Meishan is a hometown of great writer Su Dongpo, suggesting that literature shapes the people's life and values no matter how much a country accumulates material wealth. Su Dongpo, together with his father, Su Xun, and his younger brother, Su Zhe, was among the eight greatest essayists of the Tang and Song dynasties.

Su Dongpo was also honoured as one of 12 Millennium Heroes with global influence between 1001 and 2000 by French newspaper Le Monde. Their residence, the San Su ancestral temple, fetches a large number of domestic and foreign tourists annually. In the Northern and Southern Song dynasties, 886 candidates of the highest imperial examinations were from Meizhou, the ancient name of Meishan. This intellectual heritage has been one of the crucial pull factors behind Meishan's evolution as an economically and culturally vibrant city.

Echoing this line of opinion, Shaoping Yang, a professor at Sichuan University Jinjiang College, avers that Meishan has long been cherished as the barn of Sichuan Province, the leading economic powerhouse in western China. "Numerous eminent scholars like Su Dongpo were born and shone here, which not only bequeaths its people with a great name but also fuels its economic development in a more sustainable and balanced manner," he adds. Sichuan University Jinjiang College inherits a century-old Sichuan heritage and cultivates the millennia-old Dongpo culture. Ranked first among the independent colleges in China, it carries forward ‘people-orientated, truth-seeking, and pragmatic education.’

Endowed with magnificent mountains and a congenial climate, Meishan has the reputation of being the 'most abundant land located between Minjian River and Mount E'mei' since ancient times. Its forest coverage rate stands at 50.25 per cent and the urban and rural greenery coverage is 55.2 per cent, making it a national garden city. Also the location of the Giant Panda National Park, it is the closest prefectural city to Chengdu, adjacent to Shuangliu and Tianfu International Airports, and located in the half-hour economic circle of Chengdu. At present, there are 22 major passageways built or under construction in Chengmei, the S5 line of the municipal railway is in full operation, and the Chengmei bullet train is encrypted to a 9-minute trip, according to official documents.

Growth leader in province

Meishan has witnessed rapid economic development, becoming the first batch of open development demonstration cities in Sichuan province. In the first half of the year, the city's GDP increased by 8.5 per cent while the industrial enterprises above designated size-added value increased by 18.8 per cent, ranking it first in the growth rate in the province. The per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents increased by 4.1 per cent and 6.7 per cent respectively.

It is conscientiously involved in the mission of building a new energy and material manufacturing base in the Chengdu-Chongqing region and creating a higher-level "Tianfu Granaries" demonstration area. It has attached priority to setting up three 100-billion-yuan and three 50-billion-yuan industries related to electronic technology, new energy and material, agro products, high-end machinery, fine chemistry, and medicine. Qingshen, known as the 'international bamboo weaving capital’ and ‘national intangible cultural heritage production protection base, adds a feather in Meishan's cap.

The city ranks among the top three in Sichuan province for nine consecutive years in terms of paid-in investment from outside the province, with 39 of the world’s top 500 enterprises operating in the city. It has focused on building strong industry and stable agriculture, expanding consumption, and optimising investment. It hosts six provincial-level platforms such as the national import trade promotion and innovation demonstration zone, the national cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone and 23 overseas nodes of Meishan International Railway Port Connection.

"At present, Meishan is in a key stage of momentum transformation, so investment should prioritise scientific and technological innovation and new industrialisation orientation, with a focus on leading and future industry," says an official of the Municipal Economic Cooperation Bureau. It stands to benefit from the historic opportunities: the development of the Western region and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the construction of the 'Belt and Road,' and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.

Driver of rural revitalisation

Meishan is pursuing industrialisation and rural revitalisation schemes side by side. It has become the only city (state) in the province to obtain the provincial advanced city of rural revitalisation. All counties and districts have yielded remarkable results, with Dongpo District selected to the establishment list of national rural revitalisation demonstration counties. "Meishan has vigorously implemented the rural revitalisation strategy as the general starting point of "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" work in the new era," states Zhu Shuji, Director of the Foreign Publicity Office of the Meishan Municipal Government.

In the third week of this September, a delegation of Nepali journalists, experts, and local representatives participated in a workshop, ‘Bamboo Industry and Rural Revitalisation,’ organised by the Jinjiang College, Sichuan University, Chengdu. Nepali delegates visited various industries, bamboo villages, and museums to gather first-hand information about the role of the bamboo industry in rural revitalisation. Meishan indeed offers good experiences and examples in the poverty alleviation field. Its ability to apply technical innovation for industrial growth, promotion of culture and heritage, and, more importantly, deliver prosperity to the people is worth replicating for Nepal.

Zhu says that Meishan is constantly expanding its high-level opening to the outside world, creating a good environment for deepening exchanges and cooperation with many countries, including Nepal. "Thus, we are ready to share Meishan opportunities and create a better future with our close neighbour, Nepal."

(The author is Deputy Executive Editor of this daily.)