When Wuzhen Meets the Internet

By Wang Fengjuan



When Wuzhen Meets the Internet

By Wang Fengjuan

Everywhere in Wuzhen， a water town in Zhejiang Province in Eastern China，little boats are paddled in the flowing streams spanned by tiny bridges and houses cluster together on the banks. In such a peaceful atmosphere， it's hard to believe this ancient water town existing for thousands of years could have any relationship with cutting-edge Internet technology. However， today， in Wuzhen， besides the black-canopied boats， low bridges， gently-flowing rivers and blue flagstones， the online hospital， smart tourism and intelligent transportation systems are all part of the fourishing town.

Here， amid a fusion of tradition and modernity， is the permanent home of the World Internet Conference. Te time-honored culture in Wuzhen County and the modern Internet are integrated to powerful efect.

Riverside Cultural Charms

Crystal clear waters run through the town fanked by simple old dwellings. Te streets flanked by ancient houses with black tiles and white walls and and bridges， along with architectural elements with unique southern charm， such as waterside pavilion， bridges and stone lanes - they combine to refect the humanistic concept of “harmony and beauty” of classical dwellings in China. Te integral beauty of nature and people coexist in harmony to reveal the spacious charms of this ancient water town south of the Yangtze River. When night falls， the sound of the night watchman ululates from the depths of the lanes，reminding people to be careful with fre.

This little ancient town is home to many great names in history. Mao Dun is one of them. This famous modern writer once lived in Dongzha， and his memorial hall and mausoleum in Xizha are crowded with tourists all year round. The QR code can be seen on the guideposts in the hall. Journalists were full of praise， saying： “Te Internet provides so much convenience. Scanning the QR code with the smart phone provides instant access to the guide.”

Water towns， genius and beauty can always be found in Zhejiang and its surroundings. To stand out from the crowd，the Wuzhen Teatre Festival was founded in 2013. On November 9， 2014， when the final curtain rose on the second Theater Festival， various dramas and their performers were packed into Shiban Lane and Zhenshui Pavilion. Diferent from the stages hurriedly set up in metropolitan areas，the stages in Wuzhen are built on the water， in the open air in the streets， and in the old theaters where streams of people were busily coming and going.

The world premiere of the Rise of the Legend was staged in the Wuzhen Grand Theater. Filming of Gone with the Bullets also occurred here.

Today， in Wuzhen， besides the black-canopied boats， low bridges， gently-flowing rivers and blue flagstones， the online hospital， smart tourism and intelligent transportation systems are all part of the flourishing town.

International Business Card

Over the past millennium， the town's stone roads have remained unchanged. Te houses have remained unchanged. Te paddle boats have remained unchanged. Even the kitchen in the stufed bun house has remained unchanged.

The shot of Wuzhen

Wuzhen at night

“The historic sites are repaired to restore their original appearance.” said Shao Yun， consultant of the Wuzhen Tourism Development Co. This is the principle specified when Dongzha started developing in 1999. In 2000， it was hailed by Alain Maramnois， a UNESCO specialist， as the“Wuzhen model” for ancient town protection. This concept is carefully followed in the development of Xizha in Wuzhen.

In 2001， Wuzhen was named as a candidate for UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List， and also a destination for senior ofcials attending the APEC summit in Shanghai to visit.

In 2008， the Sino-French Cultural Heritage Protection Forum was held in Xizha. In 2012， Wuzhen， as the only representative of China， attended the forum held in Bruges， Belgium， focusing on world cultural heritage cities in the 21st Century.

In 2013， the EU-China Exhibition on Urban Development was held in Beijing. Wuzhen was the only Chinese town to participate. Also in 2013， the frst Wuzhen Teater Festival was held.

In the following year's event， over half of the 100-plus programs were performed by foreign groups. These international elements didn't detract from the culture of this ancient town in any way. “Chinese stories are interpreted in an international way.” said Xia Guming， Vice Principal of the Hangzhou Foreign Language School， in his WeChat comments.

According to Shao Yun， “this indicates the inclusive side of culture.” Culture has always been one of the special charms of Wuzhen. As a matter of fact， before the present tourism development program was launched， about 30，000 tourists came to Wuzhen every year especially for visiting the former residence of Mao Dun.

Internet Applications Everywhere

Wuzhen is recognized as much today as a smart town promoting entrepreneurship rather than just a water town with a long history and rich tourism resources.

Since June 2012， the Xizha district has basically gained Wi-Fi access. Alipay is available in many stores and restaurants here. Last year， Wuxiangtang， a store selling aromatic products， installed the software for online payment. Store assistant Ms. Liu said： “Many young people are surprised at the online payment facility in our store when they come to buy stuf.”

In September 2015， the Zhejiang provincial government agreed to set up the comprehensive pilot area for Internet Innovation and Development in Wuzhen，which became the core area extending its influence to surroundings so as to build a demonstration zone for information and economic development across the province.

In Wuzhen， the “smart information kiosk” makes use of the intelligent multimedia technology to provide services of navigation map， promotional videos， interactive APP， the latest news， Wi-Fi access，e-commerce， and mobile phone battery charging. Via the “Internet Hospital”， people can see doctors online and fnd the right one to handle their illnesses. In the public bicycle service center， foreign tourists can rent a bike by scanning the QR code in Wechat instead of applying for their own account. The comprehensive service platform for smart elderly-care is based on an at-home approach benefting 15，000 elders in Wuzhen. As of now， there are over 3，000 service providers of various kinds in this water town， providing job opportunities for over 10，000 people.

Wuzhen with ancient charms has united with the modern Internet to create a new draw to attract visitors.