Last December, Zhejiang held the second plenary meeting of the 15th Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Economic Work Conference. It proposed high-quality development as the primary task and reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force. It has also stressed the realization of people’s yearning for a better life as the primary purpose, with Zhejiang’s ‘stability’ and ‘progress’ to contribute more to the country’s overall situation. These deployments pointed out the direction for the economic work of Zhejiang.

This year is the launching year for fully implementing the spirit of the Party’s 20th National Congress and for achieving the second centenary Goal. China will continue to pursue reform and opening up, expand demand, strive to achieve high-quality development, and make good progress in building a modern socialist country in all respects. Meanwhile, this year is also the 20th anniversary of the Double Eight strategy in Zhejiang. Twenty years ago, the Double Eight strategy proposed that Zhejiang give full play to its advantages in urban-rural coordination, ecology, mountain and sea resources, culture, etc. Based on these factors, Zhejiang could fulfil the integration of urban and rural areas, build a green province, promote the less developed areas to become the new economic growth point and create a cultural province.

Yu Villiage (Yucun), surrounded by mountains and showy bamboo, is in Tianhuangping Town, Anji County, Huzhou City of Zhejiang. It is widely known as the birthplace of the famous Two Mountains Theory, i.e., “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”

A giant balloon at the MIDI Art Week in Yucun, Anji, Huzhou, April 15, 2023 (Photo/Jiang Chuan)

Several days ago, Yucun held MIDI Art Week with Beside Living as the theme. It is introduced that Yucun MIDI Art Week is a youth journey in that MIDI tries to explore art and life. The activity adheres to MIDI’s artistic temperament of equality, love, and peace. It is committed to practising diverse and avant-garde pan-artistic creation, making it possible for “everyone to be an artist.” The MIDI Art Week, held in Yucun, provides a vivid case for the practice of the Double Eight strategy. 

The author participated in Yucun MIDI Art Week and gained some awareness through observation. Firstly, new business forms constitute new growth points for rural revitalization. Based on the traditional integration of agricultural, cultural, and tourism, new business forms like a music festival or art week enrich the connotation of conventional local economic activities and enhance their depth, breadth, and inclusiveness. Secondly, new consumption has become a pattern that young people are keen on in the new era. The party style and pan-artistic consumption scenes provided by art week and music festival cater to young people’s complex needs for community, art, entertainment, being close to nature, and other quality life. Thirdly, the new model stimulates the innovation and enthusiasm of local governments in participating in economic activities and also sets up a platform for market players of cultural and creative arts activities to explore business model innovation and promote new development.

In Yucun, we also felt the diversity and convenience brought by the integration of the Yangtze River Delta for cultural integration and artistic collision. Jiang Chuan, a cafe owner from Anhui province, is one of the coffee artists invited to MIDI Art Week. He said the artistic appeal and gathering power of MIDI’s activities provide a good opportunity to communicate for coffee and music lovers like him. Thanks to the integration of the Yangtze River Delta and the continuous improvement of transportation infrastructure, he added that driving only takes more than 2 hours from Anhui to Yucun, which is quite convenient.

People enjoy the performance and interact with the band in Yucun, Anji, Huzhou, April 15, 2023 (Photo/Zhu Wenjing)

During Yucun MIDI Art Week, many foreign artists and young people participated in this cultural party. A few years ago, who would have thought that an ordinary village in China could have such cultural cohesiveness and vitality? According to reports, in 2022, Tianhuangping Town, with Yucun as the core, launched the Yucun Global Partnership Program with the surrounding villages, committed to jointly building a high-level, modern and international-style big Yucun. The Yucun MIDI Art Week is a part of this program. Entering the new development stage, it is necessary to implement the new development philosophy and build a new development paradigm. The path of Yucun is exactly the embodiment of such concepts and requirements. It also is a vivid practice of the Double Eight strategy. 

"Work in earnest for an endless pursuit of excellence", "Even front runners must blaze new trails", and "the sense of duty is best manifested in tackling tough issues head-on". Zhejiang is setting out on a road that will lead to common prosperity with its characteristics.

The author is an associate researcher at the Hangzhou International Urbanology Research Center (Zhejiang Urban Governance Study Center). 

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this piece do not reflect the views of InZhejiang Global Communication Network 

Editor: Ye Ke