Xiong'an takes shape, ready for new influx

For Zhu Fuqiang, an employee of China Huaneng Group and an avid runner, the appeal of life in the Xiong'an New Area is measured in kilometers of well-maintained tracks and easy access to green space.

"The sports facilities here are excellent, and there are so many green spaces," said Zhu, who often runs in the Central Green Valley Park near his office.

The simple pleasure is part of a larger life change. Zhu moved to Xiong'an from Beijing last autumn, when the central State-owned enterprise relocated its headquarters and more than 1,000 employees to the new area.

On Monday, Zhu became one of the company employees who got the chance to speak with President Xi Jinping during his inspection tour to Xiong'an.

"I was thrilled and deeply inspired to listen to the president's remarks up close, and Xi's encouragement to take pride in being part of Xiong'an resonates deeply with me," said Zhu, whose wife and younger son have also settled in Xiong'an. He said he was satisfied with life here and ready to better integrate into Xiong'an's development.

As a "millennium plan" and a project with national significance, the Xiong'an New Area, about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, has been designed to relieve Beijing of functions that are nonessential to its role as the nation's capital, and to boost the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Since China announced plans to establish the Xiong'an New Area in April 2017, it has evolved from a blueprint into a vibrant city. Xi's trip on Monday marked his fourth inspection tour of Xiong'an in nine years.

Shen Yan, head of Beijing Jiaotong University's Xiong'an campus construction office, was also present during Xi's address to representatives from relocated organizations at Huaneng.

President Xi's speech reinforced the university's view of the relocation as a historic opportunity, he said.

To mark a new chapter, the university will celebrate the 130th anniversary of its founding at the Xiong'an campus in September, inviting alumni to see the site's progress firsthand, Shen added.

The university's relocation follows a clear timeline: About 1,000 students will begin studies at the new campus by March next year, with an additional 5,000 joining by September 2027. The large-scale move will conclude by September 2028, eventually accommodating nearly 20,000 faculty members and students.

"Building our new campus is building Xiong'an," Shen said. "It is a commitment to the future."

To date, eight central SOE headquarters have either fully relocated or are accelerating the construction of their offices in Xiong'an, and more than 4,000 Beijing-based companies have established a presence in the new area.

In addition, four Beijing universities have broken ground for their Xiong'an campuses, and two hospitals are building new branches here.

This influx is physically transforming the skyline, with more than 5,300 buildings now standing where fields once lay.

While chairing a symposium on Monday afternoon on further advancing the high-quality construction and development of the new area, Xi acknowledged that important progress has been achieved, and he emphasized the need to firmly uphold Xiong'an's positioning as the major recipient of Beijing's noncapital functions.

To step up efforts to improve public services and safeguard and enhance the well-being of local residents, Xiong'an has put into operation 105 schools and kindergartens, 80 elderly care service facilities and 43 community activity centers.

The Xiong'an campus of Beijing No 4 High School opened in August 2023, and its student enrollment has grown from an initial 49 to nearly 400. Huang Chun, principal of the campus, accompanied Xi during his visit to the campus on Monday.

Huang said the president showed great care for the students, asking in detail about their lives and studies. The principal added that he was impressed by Xi's emphasis on bringing Beijing's effective educational concepts and methods to Xiong'an to ensure students' well-rounded development.

With the relocation of Beijing's noncapital functions projected to accelerate during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, Huang noted that more families are expected to arrive. To meet the growing demand, his school has established an education group in Xiong'an that has launched two primary schools, with plans to open more in the future, according to Huang.

"We are committed to ensuring that every child of those building Xiong'an can receive a high-quality education at our schools here,"Huang said.

Zhang Yu in Shijiazhuang contributed to this story.

jihaisheng@chinadaily.com.cn