The 2020 Quzhou Green City & Beautiful Life Conference, with the theme "Quzhou for a better future", was held on Oct 30 at the Shuimenting historical and cultural block – in the prefecture-level city of Quzhou in East China's Zhejiang province – according to local officials.

Academies in Quzhou date back as far as the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), when the teachings of Confucians prospered. In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, Quzhou had several influential academies including the Yiping, Baoshan, Qingxian, Qulu, Zhengyi, Dingyang, Wenxi and Fengwu academies.

The ritual of Confucianism, which has been passed on for more than 700 years in this city, has not only deeply influenced Quzhou and its people, but also become the spiritual connotation for so-called future communities -- with their focus on harmony, green development, intelligence and sharing – that are designed to improve the quality of life of residents nowadays.

A future community – a term included in the provincial government report in 2019 -- is an urban development project which aims make cities more people-oriented, environmentally friendly, as well as digitalized.

Zhejiang chose 24 pilot communities and officials say it has been working tirelessly to implement the project. Officials say future communities are not only social projects, but drivers for investment.