China pushes towns to brand themselves, then regrets it

NUCLEAR is the future for the small coastal city of Haiyan. Not just as a source of power but, local officials think, as a magnet for businesses and tourists. Home to China’s first domestically developed commercial reactor, Haiyan recently started calling itself “nuclear-power town”. It has opened a nuclear museum (pictured), broken ground on a nuclear-related industrial park and drawn up blueprints for homes and hotels that play up the atomic theme. Signs above the main road declare it a “city of hope”.

For those not so enamoured of nuclear power, other newly emerging cities a short drive away might be more alluring. Gourmands can opt for “chocolate town” or “shiitake town”, whereas fashionistas have “leather-fashion town” and “cosmetics town”. Aspiring fund managers are also well looked after. They can choose between four different “financial” towns.

They are all part of China’s push to create tese xiaozhen, or “speciality...Continue reading

Source: China http://ift.tt/2BKaWNa

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