Wuzhen is a picturesque riverside tourist destination, located not far from the headquarters of Chinese Internet giant Alibaba. And it's thanks to the Internet that Wuzhen has quickly transformed into a smart town, combining its history with modern technologies. [Special Coverage]
Getting ready to welcome guests from around the world, in an old-fashioned way.
With the whole town now covered with free wifi, almost all the shops here have their online presence, targeting smartly to many Chinese urbanites eager to find a getaway from the hustle and bustle of big cities.
The ancient town of Wuzhen, with thousands of years of history, is holding a global conference on the newest industry, the Internet. And the town itself is also fast developing, with some cutting edge information technology.
While a boat may look romantic, riding a bicycle here is actually more realistic. And the way you get the bike is also quite smart. All you need is just a smartphone and a scan of QR code, and then you rent a bike free for the first hour, and then one RMB per hour, which is paid not in cash, but with your cellphone.
Whenever your cellphone is out of battery, it's not a problem. Here in Wuzhen, there are quite a few smart information desks, where you can use the wireless charging technology. And during the long wait for the charging, you can also use this machine to navigate your locations or make short free phone calls. One of its most interesting functions, or probably the most boring for me, is to take selfies on this machine. With a scan of QR code, the photo is downloaded instantly onto your mobile.
But the smart town is not just about pleasing young tourists. The technologies are also tackling one of the most thorny issues in China, the aging society.
Senior citizens in Wuzhen are now being taken good care of, smartly.
A mixture of tradition and modernity, Wuzhen is still exploring its own path by echoing the government's call of building smart cities and towns, with the help of Internet. Wang says the technologies they are enjoying today, might well be the future of urban life for everyone.
