Promotion of Slow City

"Slow City" makes the city more suitable for life

On August 28, 2013, Wenzhou Municipal Tourism Bureau convened experts, scholars and industry insiders to discuss how to create a "Slow City Wenzhou" to discuss. Chen Yunqiu, the honorary president of the Italy-China Cultural Exchange Association who has lived in a "Slow City" abroad for a long time, described the blueprint of the Slow City as very exciting. The proposal of the new urban model concept of "Slow City Wenzhou" has applauded many participating experts, who have made suggestions on how to promote the Slow City movement in Wenzhou and create "Slow City Wenzhou". Zhang Chunchun, director of the Wenzhou Municipal Tourism Bureau, said that tourism is life, experience and perception. Slow life will be a trend in the future, and "slow travel" derived from slow life is the perfect combination of tourism and leisure. It meets the development requirements of tourism. At the same time, it also meets the needs of the general public and is the ideal of life. An experience of value.

The "Slow City" movement originated in Italy.

We live in an era where speed is paramount. Efficiency and speed keep us running around, and the whole world is squeezed into one word: fast. When the leisurely nature of nature leaves us more and more lucky, when depression and sub-health begin to surround us, when violent emotions spread over society... This abnormal situation has made many people have doubts about their own lives. Reflect on quality. They began to advocate a philosophy of slowing down the pace of life. This concept is becoming more and more popular and has formed a new trend, which is the "Slow City Movement". The "Slow City Movement" originated in Italy in 1999.

In more than ten years, this movement has spread to more than 200 towns and communities in more than 130 countries around the world. "Slow City" is an urban form that slows down the pace of life. According to the regulations of the World Slow City Alliance, the towns, villages or communities that are rated must have a population of less than 50,000, pursue a green lifestyle, fight against pollution and noise, support urban greening, support traditional handicrafts, and do not have fast food areas and large supermarkets, etc. .

Slow City is not about slow efficiency, it pursues a sustainable development model; Slow City is not about abandoning modern technology, what it loves is a high degree of harmony between man and nature. Its core is to advocate pure life, protect local characteristics, say no to the homogenization and standardization that comes with globalization, and emphasize returning to the essence of life and experiencing the meaning of life in a leisurely pace of life.

“Slow City Wenzhou” reflects a desire for people’s livelihood.

In the past 30 years of reform and opening up, Wenzhou people have created miracles one after another with the spirit of "dare to be the first in the world and especially capable of starting a business". Behind the world-renowned halo, many negative problems have also emerged, affecting people's lives: excessive consumption of resources, and the environment is under increasing pressure: Wenzhou's high housing prices are close to those of first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, leaving many Wenzhou residents People are busy all their lives for bills and houses; the continuous increase in car ownership has made Wenzhou become congested seemingly overnight, and the cost of living in Wenzhou is getting higher and higher... All of these are knocking on our minds. Mind, let us think and reflect on the original production model. Is it really time for Wenzhou to slow down? !

As the saying goes, haste makes waste. If you pursue speed too much, you may compromise on quality. The shortcomings exposed in Wenzhou can be sufficient reasons for us to slow down. "Slow" doesn't just mean slowing down compared to the fast pace, it mainly means better use of time and the pursuit of exquisite life and taste.

In the past, Wenzhou's economic development mainly relied on resource consumption, low-cost labor and foreign trade exports. This extensive export-oriented development method was costly and volatile and was no longer sustainable. Therefore, it is urgent for Wenzhou to change its economic development mode and industrial transformation and upgrading. Therefore, the introduction of "Slow City" may become inevitable, and new ideas can be "slowly" developed.

Striving for a higher GDP is just a process in development. The ultimate goal of development is the improvement of people's living standards and quality. If "slowing down" can improve the happiness index of Wenzhou people, what do we have? What’s the reason not to “slow down”? What's more, the "slowness" of reason is not negative, but another positive way. It's like putting reins on a galloping horse and putting brakes on a speeding train. They can stretch and relax freely. Wenzhou has entered an important opportunity for industrial transformation and strategic upgrading. At this stage, development can no longer simply pursue efficiency. Sustainable development and environmental quality improvement should be regarded as the main goals of urban construction. At this time, "slow down" and slow down to think, compare, and screen to provide better realistic conditions for good and fast development.

The practical feasibility of “Slow City” in Wenzhou.

The concept of "Slow City Wenzhou" is indeed attractive, but the concept of Slow City originated from Western developed countries. Is it realistic and feasible to develop Slow City in Wenzhou? Is it the right time for the Slow City concept to appear in Wenzhou today? In an era of industrialization and commerce that is still developing at a rapid pace, can this "slowness" continue? At the meeting, Chen Yunqiu, honorary president of the Italy-China Cultural Exchange Association, believed that urban development requires diverse concepts and the harmony and sustainability of economy and society. In order to strengthen the city's soft power and achieve inclusive growth, Slow City provides ideas for Wenzhou's sustainable development. By analyzing the successful cases of Slow City in different cultural backgrounds, he pointed out that it is realistic and feasible to develop the Slow City movement in Wenzhou.

The municipal party committee and the municipal government have determined that the construction of "integration of three livelihoods and a happy Wenzhou" is the strategic goal of Wenzhou's "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" development. This is an in-depth implementation of the scientific concept of development and a full grasp of Wenzhou's current development characteristics. Strategic arrangements made to adapt to the new expectations of the people. Slow City advocates the construction of a living environment in which people and people and people and nature coexist harmoniously, requiring the reduction of noise and traffic flow, the increase of green spaces and walking areas, the development of local industries, the application of environmental protection technology and the cultivation of a warm and hospitable humanistic spirit, etc., emphasizing that Returning to the essence of life in a leisurely pace, appreciating the meaning of life, and opposing extravagance, waste, high pollution, high energy consumption and unhealthy living habits, etc., have the same purpose, and are all aimed at creating a livable and happy place for the people. city. Under the strategic decision of building "integration of three livelihoods and a happy Wenzhou", we can combine the Slow City concept and core connotation to plan a Slow City model suitable for Wenzhou, and use the network platform of the "International Slow City Alliance" to create a model that can be called The high-quality projects of world tourism brands have made Wenzhou an international Slow City tourism city.

Some experts believe that the Slow City movement is to protect local characteristics and say no to the homogenization that comes with globalization. It can be said that Slow City is also a city with characteristics, and Wenzhou also has the culture to become a Slow City Base. Wenzhou is a famous town in Dongou with splendid culture and developed handicraft industry. It has been known as the "hometown of hundreds of crafts" in history. Various handicraft industries have been very prosperous in history. Today, walking on the streets of Wenzhou, you can still see family-style handicraft production. These handicrafts give Wenzhou distinctive regional characteristics. Moreover, Wenzhou has many small towns and ancient villages with distinctive characteristics. They have created their own unique slow travel scenery with their long history, splendid culture, beautiful mountains and rivers, unique ethnic minority gathering places, and slow pace of life. For example, Yongjia has completely preserved a large number of ancient villages with similar shapes, distinctive features and traditional architectural styles. These ancient villages are not only cleverly integrated with the topography, landforms, and mountains and rivers, but also imbue them with a rich cultural atmosphere of farming and reading. Here, people can feel the inheritance of local culture, taste local delicacies and snacks, appreciate local handicrafts and local specialties, etc. All this has laid a solid material foundation for building a distinctive “Slow City Wenzhou”.

Although it will take a long time to build Wenzhou into a distinctive Slow City, what is more important than winning the title of "Slow City" is advocating a lifestyle and building a new city under the opportunity of Slow City. Life philosophy, advocating a healthy, safe and green Slow City life concept. Integrating body and mind into nature is a way to achieve a slow life. This is helpful for Wenzhou people who have always regarded time as life and money to stop and free themselves from the rapidly developing society and slowly enjoy life. Enjoy the beauty of family, love, and friendship, enjoy trees, flowers, clouds, streams, waterfalls and all kinds of nature, and enjoy spiritual supplies such as art, travel, and reading.

Reprinted from the ninth issue of "Wenzhou People" in 2012

Slow down and get rich

--Chen Yunqiu talks about the commercial value of the Slow City Movement

There is a city model called Slow City. Chen Yunqiu is the chairman of the China Development and Trade Group in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the honorary president of the Italy-China Cultural Exchange Association, and a volunteer and advocate of the Slow City Movement. For more than ten years, he has traveled around the world, from China to Europe and now to the Middle East. His footprints have reached almost every corner of the world. He discovered a model for a more livable city: one with a unique sense of place, with good food, a healthy environment, a sustainable economy and a leisurely and comfortable pace of community life. This model is called "Slow City".

When making an interview, he also said that he wanted to find a quiet and artistic place to talk. I picked a few places and finally settled on the Zhongtongren Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Oujiang Road. In the antique environment, we drank tea and melon seeds to try the addiction of "slow life". Here Chen Yunqiu responded to my questions about Slow City wisely, casually, meticulously and calmly, and shared with me all kinds of interesting things about his "Slow City life". He said that there are many volunteers on the streets of the Italian town of Bra. Whenever they see passers-by in a hurry, they will go up and ask if they need help. If they do not need help, they will persuade passers-by not to walk too far. quick. The British town of Ludlow is as quiet as a baby sleeping. There is not a single car in the town and there is no noisy sound. To visit this town, all you need to prepare for transportation is a pair of suitable shoes. You can rely on the "No. 11" bus and walk slowly through this town at a speed of four or five kilometers per hour, which will make your heart sink. It makes you feel like the whole world has slowed down. The village of Marihnsf in Germany is the smallest Slow City in the world, with only 260 people. Every “Slow City” in the world has its own characteristics.

He said that the Slow City movement has spread from Europe to the entire world. More and more cities are preparing or are joining the Slow Cities Alliance. The purposes of these cities joining the Slow City model are varied. Some are to better protect local culture, some are to develop specialty tourism, and some are to pursue sustainable development. But no matter what the purpose is, joining the International Slow City Alliance has become a " After "Slow City", all of them have stimulated the local tourism economy without exception. It can be said that the Slow City movement has formed an international network, where different cities can exchange their ideas on building Slow City and share classic successful cases. Each Slow City is practicing the Slow City philosophy in different ways according to its own characteristics.

Slow down and get rich.

Chen Yunqiu said that many people have misunderstandings about Slow City, thinking that Slow City simply slows down. In fact, Slow City has many connotations, including promoting healthy eating and lifestyle, cultivating local culture, protecting local customs and cultural heritage, etc. In short, Slow City is not about turning the clock back to the past and allowing people to live in a "museum" "Life", Slow City is just to find a balance between modernity and tradition, and to help people live a better life.

The Slow City concept is not simply about sacrificing efficiency for a comfortable life. In many places, Slow City creates economic value and improves the quality of life because of its uniqueness. For example, the small town of Bura, with its leisurely dining and peaceful atmosphere, attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. Tourism has also boosted business development. The handmade chocolates and green foods it sells are popular among tourists, and retail sales are increasing at a rate of 15% every year. Every weekend, specialty cheese makers from all over Europe gather here, and Fengcheng's rich product exhibitions create food festivals all around.

China’s first international Slow City, Gaochun, also brought about earth-shaking changes because of the title of “Slow City”. From a little-known small town in Jiangsu, it suddenly became very popular because “Slow City” brought new development opportunities. The per capita income increased from the original 4,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan. 60% of these revenues come from local specialty industries. With the continuous promotion of the Slow City concept, more and more tourists come to "Slow City", and agricultural and sideline products can be bought at good prices at home. Sweet potatoes used to cost only a few yuan per 100 kilograms, and a box of 20 kilograms can be sold for 60 yuan. There are more tourists, and farmhouses are also on the rise. Many young people who used to work outside have come back to find jobs or start businesses. All these are the economic benefits brought by “Slow City”. The Slow City movement is changing business models in many places.

Green waters and green mountains turn into mountains of gold and silver.

Globalization has provided many conveniences for urban development, but it has unknowingly erased the characteristics of each city. Cities around the world are becoming more and more alike. After thirty years of development, Wenzhou's original characteristics of "small bridges, flowing water, and people" have disappeared and have been replaced by high-rise buildings rising from the land. At the same time, Wuzhen, Zhouzhuang, Tongli, etc. around Wenzhou attract tens of thousands of tourists every year to create wealth because they retain the original style and unique layout of Jiangnan water towns. Why can't Wenzhou turn Wenzhou's green waters and green mountains into mountains of gold and silver? Why can’t Wenzhou cultivate its environment to make money?

Wenzhou is extremely rich in tourism resources. The tourist attractions are large in area, dense in density, and of many types. They are a collection of mountains, seas, rivers, lakes, and islands, and the natural landscapes and cultural landscapes complement each other. But why can’t such good resources bring corresponding tourism economy? The main reason is that Wenzhou's tourism products are too single, ignoring the cultural, entertainment and leisure needs of tourists visiting Wenzhou, and do not allow tourists to "slow down" and enjoy Wenzhou's green waters and green mountains. As a result, tourists can only participate in Wenzhou for a short period of time. Sightseeing activities, so what is left is just the ticket economy.

Therefore, advocating and building slow life in Wenzhou is not only feasible but also necessary to improve the quality of life of citizens and develop the tourism economy.

Reprinted from the ninth issue of "Wenzhou People" in 2012

On December 14, 2014, the Wenzhou Slow City Leisure and Tourism Federation was officially established. More than 350 enthusiastic people from all walks of life in our city "Slow Life" people attended the founding meeting. Chen Yunqiu was elected as the first president. According to reports, as early as August last year, the Municipal Tourism Bureau convened experts, scholars and industry insiders to discuss how to build a "Slow City Wenzhou". The term "Slow City" originated in Italy, which aims to advocate local civilization and return to the essence of life. It is not only an adjustment to the fast-paced modern life, but also an in-depth taste and exploration of local nature and culture. Currently, there are more than 170 “Slow Cities” around the world, and my country currently has two “Slow Cities”. (Reported by Wenzhou Metropolis Daily reporter Zhou Xiaoling)

On December 14, 2014, the Wenzhou Slow City Leisure and Tourism Federation was officially established. More than 350 people from all walks of life in Wenzhou who are passionate about "slow life" participated. held the founding meeting. Chen Yunqiu, honorary president of the Italy-China Cultural Exchange Association, was elected as the first president. "Slow City" originated in Italy and aims to advocate local civilization and return to the essence of life. It is not only an adjustment to the fast-paced modern life, but also an in-depth taste and exploration of local nature and culture. At present, there are more than 170 "Slow Cities" in the world, and China has also developed two, namely Gaochun District in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province and Yanyang Town in Meizhou City, Guangdong Province. Wenzhou is one of the first cities in China to introduce the "Slow City" culture. "Modern people's life pace is too fast. Slower and quieter is the starting point of real 'poetic habitat'." Mr. Chen Yunqiu said that after the establishment of Wenzhou Slow City Leisure and Tourism Federation, it will promote the concept of "slow life", Make active efforts and contributions to create a national civilized city and cultivate the tourism, leisure and cultural industry.

(Reported by the National Tourism Administration of the People’s Republic of China)