The government work report, launched during the fourth session of the 16th Guangzhou Municipal People's Congress on Jan 15, also mapped out the plans for 2024, signaling the way forward for the Tianhe district.

Guangzhou will launch the "1+N" policy for transforming scientific and technological achievements to boost the development of areas like Tianhe's Wushan-encircled innovation source area. Regulations on reconstructing urban villages will also be issued to advance the transformation of four regions, including the Wushan-encircled innovation source area.

The Wushan-encircled innovation source area boasts rich innovation resources and firm innovation capability. It now has four "double first-rate" universities, 32 university research institutes, 10 national key laboratories, 52 maker spaces, and incubators that have hosted more than 600 high-tech enterprises, as well as 141 joint laboratories by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Skyscrapers tower over Tianhe district. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

According to the report, Guangzhou will boost the construction of key platforms this year, including the Pazhou Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy Pilot Zone in Haizhu district and the Tianhe Smart City.

The Tianhe Smart City is located at the junction of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong and the Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao innovation and technology corridors. It is a vital part of Guangzhou's sci-tech innovation axis. It has seven national and five provincial-level titles, such as the National Software Industrial Base.

The report also mentioned that a higher level of digital Guangzhou will be built this year by promoting the construction of the Guangdong branch of the China Academy of Industrial Internet, cultivating more high-quality industrial software enterprises, and supporting smart manufacturing enterprises in building digital factories.

The Guangdong branch of the China Academy of Industrial Internet was settled in Tianhe district during the 2023 Guangzhou International Innovation Festival in December.

Besides, the city will carry out digital financial innovation, promote the construction of the Guangdong Digital Financial Innovation Industrial Park, and expand the application of digital yuan. It will build the Greater Bay Area Cross-border Financial and Asset Management Center, unveiled in Tianhe on Dec 22, with high standards and explore new models of special asset management.

The busy Tianhe Road Business Circle at night. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

Guangzhou will further promote the construction of national export bases for digital services, culture, and intellectual property services in 2024 and expand trade in digital technologies.

Tianhe is the only administrative area in Guangdong province that has been named simultaneously as the national cultural and digital service export bases.

The Tianhe Road-Zhujiang New Town business circle will be upgraded to help make Guangzhou an international consumption center.

According to the report, the construction of key education projects like Tianhe's Greater Bay Area School of Tsinghua University High School will be promoted to ensure people's livelihood.

An urban garden integration system, centered on the South China National Botanical Garden in Tianhe district, will be built to help transform Guangzhou into a forest city.