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Picturesque city at leading edge of economic transition
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WITH the serene beauty of Hangzhou’s West Lake, its breathtaking blend of ancient and modern architecture and the beauty of Hangzhou’s numerous manicured gardens all seamlessly woven into the beautiful tapestry that is Hangzhou’s cityscape, it’s easy to forget you are in one of Asia’s (and in my opinion the world’s) most innovative and important cities. Nestled in the reassuring shadow of Hangzhou’s omnipresent forested foothills and mountains, the ubiquitous greenery, the friendliness of the Hangzhou locals and the natural beauty of Hangzhou’s surrounding are unflappable reminders of why Hangzhou has earned and continues to live up to the adage “Up in Heaven, there is paradise; down on Earth, there is Hangzhou.” Hangzhou’s beauty is what piqued my interest, but it is Hangzhou’s heart and mind that has made me fall in love.
To me Hangzhou represents the perfect confluence of new and old China, a sublime juxtaposition of China’s ancient values of beauty, order and form with that of China’s new values of forward thinking, creativity and innovation that are propelling Hangzhou and China to the forefront of a globally connected, electronically integrated world. For me Hangzhou encapsulates the solutions to the key challenges China faces as it confidently strides towards the most important epoch in its history since Deng Xiaoping’s opening-up policy. The obstacles China faces as it transitions from a “made-in-China” to a “made-for-China” economic paradigm are already being overcome here in Hangzhou. With the G20 summit fast approaching to my mind there is a certain synchronicity at play and I feel a sense of joy to be part of what will surely be a great milestone in Hangzhou, China and the rest of the world’s history.
At this juncture I feel it would be remiss of me not to tip my hat towards Hangzhou’s entrepreneurial spirit epitomized by its globally renowned luminary, poster boy and a personal hero of my own Jack Ma. In the same vein as Steve Jobs or Bill Gates the man has done for Hangzhou what these men did for Silicon Valley and personifies all that is unique and progressive about Hangzhou. Jack Ma has placed Hangzhou at the epicenter of a global e-commerce revolution that is taking the world by storm. A revolution that is characterized by creativity, lateral thinking, robustness and rapid growth and further highlights a broader trend that captures the true spirit of modern China. Hangzhou has transformed itself into the archetype for China’s new sustainable growth model and fostered an environment where its citizens are electronically connected, enterprises and businessmen are responsible and accountable, supply chains are traceable and goods and services infinitely safer. Hangzhou is blazing a trail in a new frontier of effortless living, quantified in QR codes, connectivity, mobile shopping and payments, messaging services, efficient logistics and an integrated supply chain unmatched throughout the world. The view from the right side of the innovation lag fence is particularly sunny and I feel proud to live in a city spearheading development initiatives and policies which is ushering in the new modern digital age.
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