1. Introduction
From November 17 to November 19, 2023, the 9th Tsinghua-SAIS Dual Degree Master students and other students from the Department of International Relations of the Tsinghua University went to Meizhou, Guangdong province, to carry out an in-depth field research regarding the region’s rural revitalization. This social practice was led by Professor Xiaoyang Tang, Chair of the Department of International Relations. Greeted by Meizhou’s governmental officials and local community leaders, the team visited a number of sites that represent the local culture and the achievements of rural revitalization, including some culture villages, museums, and related business ventures.
Meizhou’s blend of rich history, profound cultural heritage, and picturesque natural landscapes makes it a captivating destination for exploring the traditional Chinese culture. As a prefecture-level city, it is located in the eastern part of Guangdong province, China, bordered by Fujian Province to its northeast. Meizhou has a rich diversity of topography, including mountains, hills, and plains. The Han River flows through the city, and contributes to the city’s fertile land and scenic beauty. Meizhou has a long course of history which can be dated back to the 5th century. The city has a cultural heritage deeply rooted in Hakka culture, and it is considered as one of the major centers of Hakka civilization. The Hakka people, known for their unique language and customs, have played a significant role in shaping the identity and cultural development of Meizhou. Currently, many traditional Hakka communal residences, known as “tulou,” are well preserved and have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to their profound historical and cultural significance.
In the economic realm, Meizhou’s economy has undergone notable transformations in recent years, which reflects the broader economic development trends in China. Meizhou has traditionally been an agricultural region, and agriculture continues to serve as an essential component of its overall economy. In recent decades, there have been both governmental and local efforts to diversify Meizhou’s industries to manufacturing, E-commerce, and tourism sectors. For example, there are governmental initiatives to publicize Jiaoling, a county of Meizhou, with the brand of the Valley of Longetivity (Changshou Xiang), due to the large number of elder people who have lived for over 100 years. Under the influence of longetivity, Jiaoling has given the full play of its influence of longetivity, selenia-rich resources, and ecological advantages. Through government guidance, market supports, and enterprise drive, Jiaoling is now focusing on cultivating green agriculture and actively advertising its key agricultural products, such as tea, selenium-rich water, bamboo tree, and honey. At the moment, Meizhou is also focusing on increasing the influence of its tourism sites as a potential arena for future economic growth.
Reflecting upon the Meizhou social practice, this report will talk about the historical challenges faced by Meizhou’s development, assess its unique cultural and ecological endowments in relation to its rural revitalization, and summarize the current development policies. At the end, policy recommendations and advices will be provided for Meizhou’s future prospects of rural revitalization.
2. Historical Challenges Facing Meizhou’s Development
In comparison to the rest of Guangdong Province, Meizhou is a relatively underdeveloped city due to both its geographical remoteness and its uneven terrain. While Meizhou’s towns are more developed, its rural areas are largely primitive, have been seemingly left behind by urban areas. Because of the city’s geography and terrain, rural areas have faced lacking development, despite other cities in Guangdong developing at a far steeper pace.
2.1 Geography
Meizhou’s geography places the city in the South of China, and in the Northeastern part of Guangdong province. While there are verious modes of transportation which connect Meizhou with nearby cities; such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shantou, Fuzhou, Kunming, and more; the remoteness of Meizhou is notable, and is especially significant when considering the historical development challenges of Meizhou. Before 2019, when Meizhou was first connected to China’s large network of high-speed railways, Meizhou only maintained conventional train networks with neighboring cities. These trains became largely operational in the 1970s and 80s, with a small, mainly domestic airport opening in 1987 (See figure 1). Getting to Meizhou from other cities by car has been an option for more time than accessibility by train or plane has been available, but many rural areas of Meizhou remain disconnected to the more urban areas for lack of roads or highways.
Meizhou’s geographical remoteness, not only affects how accessible the city is for visitors, but it also greatly affects its local economy and, therefore, its possibilities for development. Cities closer to Hong Kong SAR, such as Dongguan, have experienced high economic growth since the economic reform period. However, due to Meizhou’s lack of connectivity, the city was left behind amidst the economic growth of cities located more strategically for trade.
Meizhou’s geographic location, far away from economically significant cities, inhibits the extent to which Meizhou is and has been able to develop. Unfortunately regarding the city’s location, there is not much the city can do to change this, but it can work to try to increase connectivity between other cities and within its own confines.
2.2 Terrain
The terrain of the city similarly hinders the feasibility of development. Meizhou is located within mountainous terrain, with cities and towns located in the lowest points between peaks (See figure 2). Meizhou has historically struggled with rainfall as a result, with typhoons and extreme rain causing flash floods, damaging infrastructure and displacing thousands. Additionally, the uneven terrain increases the cost of development, not to mention making it more difficult to transport machinery needed for such development, which plays another significant role in Meizhou’s historic and ongoing development challenges.
As alluded to previously, while many parts of Meizhou are urbanized, there remains a significant population disconnected from cities as a result of undeveloped infrastructure. In some areas, roads are badly built or are even nonexistent, as a result of the terrain, which is difficult to build on.
3. Research Question and Methodology
3.1 Research Question
This study aims to study Meizhou’s current approach to achieve rural revitalization. In particular, it attempts to understand how Meizhou manages to overcome the natural barrier, foster industrial growth, and utilize different policy actions to foster county-level economic development. With a diagnosis of existing policy gaps and implementation challenges, recommendations of further policy focus would also be given at the end.
3.2 Research Methodology
The research team travelled directly to Meizhou and conducted field research in different counties. The research relies mainly on a combination of different qualitative methods including site visits, structured and semi-structured interviews with government officials and local people, as well as second-hand literary analysis. The team spent three days in Meizhou, visiting MeiXian District, Jiaoling County, and Dabu County.
In Jiaoling County, the team visited Shing-Tung Yau’s Ancestral House, Shing-Tung Yau International Conference Center, and Xie Jinyuan’s Ancestral House to learn about the traditional family value and Hakka cultural heritage. The team also had a discussion with Jiaoling’s sub-prefect Zhang Hui (about rural economy development in Jiaoling. Later, the team travelled to Dabu County, visiting the Dabu County Xihe town Hedou Homestay site to study the practice of eco-tourism. They also visited Zhang Bishi’s Ancestral House as well as Lee Kuan Yew’s Ancenstral House to further grasp the effort to revitalize the cultural heritage of renowned people from Meizhou. During the visit, a few talks were given by the local guides about Meizhou people’s oversea influence and contribution to the industrial and commercial development of Southeast Asian countries.
The team also went to Meijiang District and visited the museum of Lin Fengmian and Ye Jianying Memorial Hall, which further enriched the team’s understanding of the celebrity effect on rural revitalization. Lastly, the team travelled to the Meizhou National defense education and training base and examine the different sustainable applications of local ecological resources.
After the field study, the team further reviewed and examined government policy documents online to deepen the understanding of Meizhou’s development in recent years. The following sections combine both first- and second-hand sources to examine the research question.
4. Meizhou’s rural revitalization strategy: turn cultural and ecological endowment into economic opportunities
4.1 Revitalization through cultural tourism
Meizhou is an outstanding tourist city in China, a national historical and cultural city, and the cultural capital of East Asia. It enjoys numerous accolades such as the “World’s Hakka Capital” and the “City of Longevity in the World.” Each of its subordinate counties also possesses unique cultural endowments. The rich and distinctive cultural resources of Meizhou provide unparalleled opportunities for the development of its tourism industry and economy. Meizhou has successfully capitalized on these opportunities, developing unique industries.
4.1.1 Dynamic Inheritance of Hakka Culture
Firstly, Meizhou is the most concentrated settlement of Hakka people among the Han nationality in China. It is an important intersection of Central Plains culture and southern indigenous culture in China, renowned worldwide for its unique Hakka culture. It is understood that for many years, Meizhou has highly valued the protection of its cultural ecology. Adhering to the construction concept of “protection priority, comprehensive protection, seeing people, things, and life,” and focusing on the construction goals of “rich heritage, strong atmosphere, distinctive features, and public benefit,” Meizhou has vigorously promoted the construction of the experimental zone, leading to the creative transformation and innovative development of Hakka culture. This year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the list of national-level cultural ecological protection areas, with the Hakka Culture (Meizhou) Ecological Protection Area included. After more than ten years of relentless efforts, the Hakka Culture (Meizhou) Ecological Protection Experimental Zone has successfully passed inspection and become the first national-level cultural ecological protection area in Guangdong.
The Hakka Culture (Meizhou) Ecological Protection Experimental Zone was approved for establishment in 2010, and its overall plan was approved in May 2017. The protection area covers 15,800 square kilometers, encompassing the entire Meizhou City, including eight counties (cities, districts), with Mei Jiang District, Mei County District, Xingning City, and Dabu County as key areas, and Pingyuan County, Jiaoling County, Fengshun County, and Wuhua County as general areas. In its establishment, Meizhou leveraged its resource advantages to promote cultural creativity, activities, and high-quality performances in schools, scenic areas, and exhibition zones. They meticulously created cultural public benefit programs such as “Hakka Culture Public Lectures” and “Friday Shows, Meeting on Saturdays,” and produced a series of high-quality works with Hakka intangible cultural heritage themes, such as “Spring Festivities” and “Lin Fengmian.”
It is reported that from 2018 to 2021, the central government invested 27.25 million yuan, and the provincial government invested 21.4 million yuan, while Meizhou actively leveraged 6.86 billion yuan of social participation funds to support the construction of the experimental zone. Successive policies and regulations such as the “Overall Plan for Hakka Culture (Meizhou) Ecological Protection Experimental Zone (2017-2030)” and “Management Methods for Hakka Culture (Meizhou) Ecological Protection Experimental Zone” were issued, actively exploring the lawful governance of cultural ecological protection. The successful establishment of the Hakka Culture (Meizhou) Ecological Protection Area represents a successful practice in the overall protection of Meizhou’s intangible cultural heritage and the dynamic inheritance of Hakka culture. It holds significant importance for meticulously crafting the Hakka intangible cultural heritage and cultural creative brands, promoting deep integration of culture and tourism, and deepening domestic and international exchange and cooperation.
4.1.2 Revitalization of Famous Personalities’ Former Residences
Meizhou, the hometown of many famous personalities, has in recent years prioritized cultural construction. By focusing on red culture and the ancestral homes of historical figures, Meizhou has deepened the protection and inheritance of its historical culture. Efforts have been made to bring the artifacts hidden in museums, the heritage standing on the land, and the words written in ancient books to life, vividly showcasing the charm of Meizhou’s cultural identity.
Among these efforts, Jiaoling County in northern Meizhou is the first “World Longevity Township” in Guangdong and the hometown of the renowned Chinese mathematician, Shing-Tung Yau. The county has protected and developed Yau’s ancestral home, achieving a broad expansion in the cultural industry. The Shing-Tung Yau Ancestral Home Cultural Tourism Area is a national 3A-level tourist attraction located in Baihu Village, Wenfu Town, and Changlong Village, Jiaoling County. It serves as a base for comprehensive social practice and research travel for middle and high school students.
Furthermore, the development of Jiaoling County’s celebrity cultural industry doesn’t stop there. Based on this cultural foundation, the county has established the Calabi-Yau Mathematical World Tourism Area. Located in Jiaozinuo, Changtan Town, Jiaoling County, this 3A-level national tourist attraction is a mathematical cultural tourism area that integrates mathematical popular science and research learning, mathematical cultural creativity and entertainment experience, exhibition tourism and reception services, and longevity culture display. The Shing-Tung Yau International Conference Center features five exhibition areas, including the Jiaoling Humanities Exhibition Space on the first floor, the Jiaoling City Living Room, the “World Voices” Shing-Tung Yau Humanities Corridor, as well as the “Voyage of the Universe” thematic exhibition space and the Mathematical Competition Activity Space on the second floor. Combining engaging explanations, thematic films, and mathematical games, the center showcases the charm of mathematical culture and Jiaoling’s humanities from multiple perspectives, making it a popular destination for research travel. In 2020, Jiaoling successfully hosted the Calabi-Yau (Meizhou Jiaoling) Mathematics Conference, showcasing Jiaoling to the world.
Additionally, Meizhou City is a famous old revolutionary area in Guangdong Province, the only city in the province that entirely belonged to the original central Soviet area, and a red land with a glorious revolutionary tradition, boasting numerous red sites. Meizhou integrates the protection and renovation of famous personalities’ former residences (ancestral homes) with the preservation of red sites and construction of red tourist attractions to create synergy and encourage broader participation. Besides representative sites like the Ye Jianying Memorial Park and Xie Jinyuan’s Former Residence, in recent years, a series of Meizhou red sites and revolutionary historical celebrity residences and memorials, represented by Gu Dacun, Zeng Guohua, Luo Pinghan, Zhu Yunqing, the Red Fourth Army Memorial Park, the Red Eleventh Army Memorial Hall, the central “September Letter” delivery site Tonghuai Villa, and Dabu central red traffic line, have been renewed. Concurrently, the restoration work of the ancestral homes of celebrities like General Xiao Xiangrong and General Deng Yifan is progressing vigorously. Building on the initial success of protecting and utilizing these famous personalities’ former residences (ancestral homes), seizing opportunities, and integrating these efforts with rural revitalization, red education, grassroots party building, and cultural tourism, Meizhou can make red culture its most brilliant calling card.
4.2 The construction of ecological civilization and the pursuit of sustainable development
Meizhou existing arable land area of more than 2.5 million acres, more than 3.8 million acres of mountainous land suitable for fruit, annual production of nearly 1 million tons of horticultural products, 1.2 million tons of grain, 2.8 million pigs, 62 million birds, 100,000 tons of high-quality aquatic products, 180,000 swarms of honey bees and so on. With the superior natural environment and ecological conditions of the place, the local government actively combines environmental resources, utilizes its own development advantages, attracts investment to realize rural development, which is mainly reflected in the following two aspects:
4.2.1 Natural Conditions Boost Eco-tourism Development
Meizhou plays well as the world’s longevity capital and utilizes its advantage of Guangdong’s important ecological functional area to deeply develop tourism products such as landscape leisure, hot springs and health care, agricultural sightseeing, and traditional Chinese medicine and recreation to build a quality life and leisure tourism destination in the Greater Bay Area. Good air environment to make Meizhou in the development of more bottom, the locals say there is a study surface, “in Meizhou every deep breath can live for 3 seconds more”, so that the place is more special, go to attract tourists. The details are as follows.
First of all, rich landscape resources are a unique foundation for local ecotourism. With more mountainous areas and more complicated terrain, the local area is rich in natural landscapes, including rolling hills, clear streams and quiet valleys. These natural landscapes attract a large number of hiking and climbing enthusiasts every year. At the same time, the beauty of the natural scenery in these mountains and rivers also attracts a large number of photography enthusiasts. Secondly, the unique climatic conditions of Meizhou City are also a highlight of ecotourism. The warm and humid climate allows for a wide variety of vegetation and lush plant growth, providing superior conditions for the formation and maintenance of ecosystems and unique experiences for tourists in different seasons, making Meizhou a favorable tourist destination in all seasons. At the same time, as mentioned above, Meizhou’s historical and cultural heritage also provides unique connotations for eco-tourism. The Hakka culture embedded in the landscape, such as the characteristic architecture and traditional customs, provides a rich cultural experience for tourists. By restoring and preserving these traditional cultural elements, Meizhou City has created a deep historical deposit for eco-tourism.
Taken together, Meizhou City is actively promoting the development of eco-tourism by virtue of its unique natural conditions. By fully tapping into its landscape resources, advocating the concept of green tourism, and protecting its cultural heritage, Meizhou City is on its way to becoming a popular destination for eco-tourism. This development trend not only promotes the prosperity of the local economy, but also provides tourists with an excellent place to get close to nature and relax.
4.2.2 Superior natural conditions enables green and healthy product production
With its favorable natural conditions, especially its rich landscape resources and suitable climate, Meizhou City has become an ideal place to cultivate green products. In a number of areas, including medicines, agricultural products and selenium-enriched water. Meizhou City has created a series of unique green products with its unique geographic and climatic characteristics, including southern medicines, selenium-enriched honey water, Shatian pomelo, Hakka glutinous rice wine, and so on.
First of all, Meizhou City is blessed with unique resources of medicinal herbs, which provide abundant raw materials for pharmaceutical production. The rich vegetation in the mountainous areas of the Meizhou region includes some traditional Chinese herbs, such as ginseng and He Shouwu, which are considered to have a variety of medicinal values. The development of the local herbal medicine industry has prompted a number of enterprises producing high-quality herbal products, which meets the market demand for health products.
Secondly, Meizhou’s performance in the field of agricultural products is equally remarkable. Selenium-enriched honey water is a local highlight. Selenium is a trace element that is beneficial to the human body, and the soil in Meizhou is rich in selenium, resulting in relatively high selenium content in the honey. This gives the local honey water a natural mineral content that is of great interest to consumers. Meanwhile, Meizhou’s Shatian Pomelo is another specialty agricultural product of Meizhou. Pomelo in Meizhou is popular because of its fresh taste and crisp, juicy flesh. Not only are they well-known in the domestic market, they are also exported to the international market. In addition, Hakka glutinous rice wine is one of the traditional specialties of Meizhou. This kind of glutinous rice wine is fermented from local high-quality glutinous rice, with moderate alcohol content and mellow taste, which is a traditional brewing product with local characteristics. With its unique brewing process and taste, Hakka glutinous rice wine has become one of the representatives of local agricultural products.
Overall, Meizhou City has fully utilized its unique natural conditions in the field of medicines and agricultural products to cultivate a series of green products. This not only helps to promote the development of the local agriculture and medicinal herb industries, but also satisfies modern consumers’ pursuit of green and healthy products. As the market for green products continues to grow, Meizhou’s strengths in this area are expected to be further highlighted, injecting new momentum into the local economy.
5. Current Policy Focus Highlights
5.1 Strategic integration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA)
Meizhou’s current policy focus sheds light on high-quality development through strategic integration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The integration includes development in infrastructure and railway construction, such as the Meilong high-speed rail. The high-speed railway is set to halve travel times to major cities in the GBA from Meizhou by 2024. Industrial collaboration is another key focus. The Guangzhou (Meizhou) Industrial Transfer Park plays a pivotal role in connecting Meizhou with other GBA cities. The park, housing 146 enterprises, generated an industrial output of 65.5 billion yuan in 2022, a 25.8% increase year-on-year. Since 2013, the park has undertaken 64 industrial transfer projects from the GBA, with a total planned investment of 69.1 billion yuan. This strategic approach has cultivated key industries aligned with Meizhou’s resources, such as food and beverage, biopharmaceuticals, and automotive components. These industries not only leverage Meizhou’s local strengths but also integrate it more deeply into the regional economic hub of the GBA.
5.2 Industrial Development
Likewise, Meizhou is also transforming traditional industries towards sustainability with initiatives such as the largest global herbal tea extract base by Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals. By enhancing the business environment and leveraging geographical advantages, these efforts aim to rejuvenate Meizhou economically and ecologically.
In line with President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on talent development as a critical focus in China, Meizhou’s “1+N” talent program is another key focus of policies in the city. The talent program is designed to attract, retain, and utilize talent effectively. The comprehensive talent program includes the “Talent Revitalization 16 Articles” and specific plans like the “Qingmei Plan,” aimed at attracting graduates to work and innovate in Meizhou, and the “Hongyan Plan,” focused on bolstering the industrial sector with high-end professionals. The “Jingu Plan” encourages talents to engage in rural entrepreneurship, while the “Zongjiang Plan” supports the development of high-skilled talents essential for business growth. Additionally, the “Guizhu Plan” is dedicated to enhancing public service sectors such as education and health. These diverse strategies in talent reflect Meizhou’s commitment to leveraging talent for regional revitalization and integration into the broader economic landscape of the Greater Bay Area.
6. Potential Areas of Improvement and Policy Advice
6.1 Major Challenges to Local Development
6.1.1 ‘Brain Drain’
‘Brain Drain’ is a term used to describe high-skill migration from developing to developed regions1. In many rural areas in Meizhou, such as Jiaoling, local officials are worrying about the fact that many young talents have left their rural homeland for opportunities in urban areas, leaving young children and elders at home. This phenomenon poses serious challenge to the sustainability of local development.
6.1.2 Single Industrial Infrastructure
In secondary township areas of Meizhou, local officials complained about unitary local industrial infrastructure. Local development is very much dependent upon traditional agriculture, which produces limited amount of economic growth for local development. Governments are planning about digital or new energy transformation, however industrial transformation is still difficult due to lack of high-skilled young working force, local culture, market competitiveness and similar problems.
6.1.3 Trapped Tourism Resources
Meizhou has magnificent view of countryside lifestyle and has huge potential tourism resources. The government is also coordinating the construction of high-speed railways to further facilitate transportation of tourists to Meizhou. However, according to the introduction of local officials, scenic spots in Meizhou are somehow scattered all over the area and there is no single renowned tourist attraction center. Therefore, with the supporting measures that are already in place, there is still the need improve the attractiveness of Meizhou to distinguish herself with well-known local characteristics.
6.2 Policy Advice
6.2.1 Improve Talent Growth System
In fact, according to our conversation with local officials, local governments have already issued financial rewards policies for young talents with advanced diplomas, targeting the major living concerns of young people. Besides financial stimulus, development opportunity is another concern of young people. Local governments could improve future development growth system to provide a promising future vision for young people so as to both attract and maintain these potential driving forces of local development. Specific policies might include clearer performance assessment, better career planning2, continued education opportunities, political honour stimulus, open channel for promotion and local talent welfare policies (such as children schooling and pension). Governments might also collaborate regional higher education institutions to actively introduce talent policies, maintain stable talent pool for future selection and target talents of certain areas that are uniquely needed for Meizhou’s development.
6.2.2 Industrial Upgrade
In April 2023, the Meizhou government has issued the ‘Implementation Plan for Integration with Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Great Bay Area to Accelerate Revitalization and Development of Meizhou’3, seeking to promote regional industrial transformation through incorporating the city into the advanced industrial chain of the Great Bay Area. With a pivotal new interest in innovation and new industries, there is also the need to focus on existing traditional industries such as agriculture, to help increase their added-value. One of the possible measures might be group-based development model, to organize local farmers together to establish a relatively mature agricultural industrial chain fostered with the assistance of government policies4. Within the group, governments could help farmers establish connection with agricultural product processors, share knowledge and financial assistance from state-controlled banks or other financial institutions. In this way, with the combination of both high-tech innovative new industries as well as improved high value traditional industries, Meizhou could find a new way of upgrading its existing industrial structure for full development.
6.2.3 ‘Create Our Own Center’
Fortunately, in recent years, local governments have already stepped up to excavate the uniqueness of Meizhou to add to its reputation. For example, in Jiaoling, the hometown of world-famous mathematician, Shing-Tung Yau, governments are taking advantage of his fame in an attempt to develop Jiaoling as a ‘town of mathematics’ to hold international conferences and organize students’ tour groups to attract more attention. Also, in this era of booming internet economy, live streams or short videos might help produce the city’s own center of attraction, combined with local characteristics of Hakka culture and agricultural style of life. The stressful socio-economic life for many young people has somehow produced an idyllic pastoral life imagination, as evidenced by the popularity of rural life videos on video platforms. This serves as an opportunity for Meizhou to promote its unique Hakka agricultural lifestyle which might be attractive for young working professionals from the Great Bay Area.
7. Conclusion
Meizhou City, as a brilliant pearl in the northern part of Guangdong Province, demonstrates strong development momentum and vitality with its profound historical and cultural heritage, outstanding industrial foundation, and proactive attitude towards innovation. Over the past few decades, people have deeply felt the unique charm of this city and witnessed Meizhou’s significant achievements in various fields.
Firstly, Meizhou City presents unique strengths in cultural inheritance and development. The integration of ancient cultural heritage with modern society places Meizhou at the forefront of exploring cultural continuity. The historical weight brought by countless famous residences injects a distinctive cultural richness into the city’s image. In the future, Meizhou will continue to strengthen cultural preservation, better inherit and develop its unique historical context, and provide profound cultural support for the city’s sustainable development.
In addition, Meizhou City has achieved remarkable success in economic development and industrial upgrading. In recent years, the city has increased investment in emerging industries, striving to promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. Meizhou’s diversified industrial structure, primarily based on agriculture but also encompassing manufacturing, services, tourism, and more, provides a solid foundation for the city’s economic prosperity. Simultaneously, the city’s active exploration of emerging industries such as high-tech and cultural creativity injects new energy into future high-quality economic development.
In terms of social development, Meizhou City not only focuses on inheriting and promoting outstanding traditional culture but has also made significant progress in urban construction, education, healthcare, and other aspects. The improvement of people’s living standards, the extension of life expectancy, and the enhancement of social welfare are evident manifestations of urban development, reflecting the government’s strong determination and positive actions to improve people’s livelihoods and the urban environment.
In the process of city development, Meizhou City has encountered various challenges, such as insufficient available natural resources, geographical constraints preventing large-scale industrial construction, and tourism promotional efforts falling short of expectations. However, through the concerted efforts of the people of Meizhou and the supportive assistance from the higher-level government, many problems have been either resolved or significantly alleviated. Despite ongoing challenges like a shortage of talent and financial constraints, Meizhou City remains committed to development. As long as the progress continues, this city is poised to overcome various obstacles and emerge as a model for the construction of new rural areas in China.
Meizhou City’s development achievements are not only specific experiences for a city but also a reflection of China’s macro development trends. Urban development reflects China’s tremendous achievements in reform, opening-up, and modernization over the long term, representing success in various aspects of the economy, society, and culture. It also epitomizes China’s trajectory since the reform and opening-up, actively integrating into the globalization process, continuously innovating, protecting, and inheriting local culture, absorbing excellent elements of international culture, learning from advanced experiences, and contributing to the sustainable development of Chinese society. It is the result of the joint efforts of the government, enterprises, and various sectors of society that contribute to the radiant brilliance of China’s comprehensive construction of a socialist modernized nation.
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