(100 great changes) Chinese cities getting smarter with technology

Water is essential to a city. The level of water environmental governance determines people's sense of fulfillment and happiness. Quanzhou, a coastal city in Fujian Province, presents the style of an ancient harbor with many streams.

In the past, its jumbled water system with a serious leakage of the pipeline network required toilsome management, including all-consuming onsite inspections. Nowadays, using AI technology to control multiple processes at waterworks, the work needs only two central control personnel. The 24-hour unmanned automatic inspection has become a reality.

With a smart water management system, the operational reliability of sewage treatment facilities in Quanzhou has been improved by 5%. Combined factors like season and weather, this system can also accurately predict urban water supply, leading to a 2% decline in water resource leakage rate.

Evidently, water treatment has witnessed rapid growth driven by both ecological big data and smart management. Humans like to live near water. Citizens have their health guaranteed through the six aspects of the water treatment chain: raw water, water production, water supply, drainage, sewage treatment and water saving.

This is only an epitome of building smart cities nationwide. The construction of smart transportation, smart healthcare, smart education, and other sectors is underway. Expediting the building of smart cities helps to improve the level of urban governance and push ahead with innovation in the approaches, models, and concepts of urban governance. As proposed in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and the Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035, it is imperative to step up the construction of new-style smart cities at different levels and in different sectors. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, a system of smart cities has taken shape in China, from pilot construction to batches of exemplary cities. The unique advantages and powerful potential of AI are improving all facets of urban governance.

General Producers: Yu Lan Hu Fang

Producer: Wu Qingcai

Executive Producer: Zeng Nai

General Directors: Chen Xingang Wang Kai

Chief Editors: Cao Hangyu Ma Xueling

General Coordinators: Zhao Anyuan Ren Shuai Zhu Na

Translator: Liu Wen

Screenwriter: Chang Nengjia Li Yan Yu Ruikai

English Reviewers: Jiang Lu Zhou Jing Qi Yiling

Voice Actor: Huo Yifan

Publicity Directors: Wang Shanshan Fang Min Zhou Jing