The WIC (World/Wuzhen Internet Conference) could be a potential cultural event that China can nurture.
Some of my "cut & paste" from various sources.
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The World Internet Conference is an annual event, first held in 2014, organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Zhejiang Provincial Government in China to discuss Internet issues and policy.
It is now an annual event in Wuzhen, Zhejiang, China. For future events, the Chinese Government is constructing a new conference and exhibition centre dedicated specifically to WIC. It is expected to be completed in time for WIC 2016.
The second World Internet Conference this year was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the prime ministers of Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Other notable internet figures include Jack Ma (Chairman of Alibaba, Lei Jun (CEO of Xiaomi), Liu Chuanzhi (founder of Lenovo), Robin Li (co-founder of Baidu), Liu Qiangdong (co-founder of JD.com), Pony Ma (CEO of Tencent).
A “trade show” style exhibition, the “Light of the Internet”, was also held alongside the conference.
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Smart city Wuzhen
The quaint water town of Wuzhen in Zhejiang province is playing host to the second World Internet Conference. The historic town serves as an interesting counterpoint to the future-oriented themes of the three-day WIC.
Wuzhen has its unique cultural heritage with its ancient Chinese structures preserved. The town is situated southwest of Shanghai, where the setting is relaxed and tranquil.
Wuzhen is one of China's premier ‘smart cities,’ offering WiFi full-coverage, QRcode, mobile online payment method and an internet hospital. The town blends cultural traditions with modern-day amenities.
Wuzhen is a beautiful land that is representative of China's Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze River) area and its old towns. It sits in the "Golden Triangle", an area that holds Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and the city of Shanghai, on a 67-sq-km area and with a population of 57,000 and convenient transportation and plenty of tourist resources and cultural relics. It is one of China's Historic Towns, one of its Top 10 Charming Towns, a National Environmentally Lovely Town, and a National AAAAA Tourist Attraction.
It was established more than 1,300 years ago and is seen as the "last site of waterside households in China". It is also the home of many famous people and is rich in culture and folk customs. It is surrounded by a canal and is crisscrossed by rivers, with an East Gate, South Gate, West Gate and North Gate. It has maintained a number of unique Jiangnan-style residences that date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Seeing Wuzhen
If you walk around the town, you might feel as if you were in an ink drawing when you see the white walls, tiled roofs, small bridges and streams or see the historical changes in the beams, painted pillars, stone lanes and old houses. And you might hear boats creaking their way past every now and then, or the hawking of goods at waterside shops.
Food
The town has a wide variety of restaurants and eateries with real gourmet food everywhere. Its most famous specialty is braised lamb that is crispy, sweet and a little bit spicy. The best time to enjoy is after the winter solstice. Then there is Baishui Fish, another local delicacy. For household dishes, there are the sauced chicken, braised pork with preserved vegetables, boiled crayfish and stir-fried shell fish, to name just a few. Some famous snacks are Gusao buns (sugar pastry with sweet bean paste or other filling), dried stinky toufu, Dingsheng steamed rices cakes, smoked bean tea, qingtuan herb-flavored glutinous rice balls filled with sweet bean paste, steamed pork rice wrapped in lotus leaf, and small wontons.
Accommodation
Wuzhen has a large variety of hotels to suit all budgets and needs, from luxurious 5-star hotel to tidy 3-star, to a waterside guesthouse or youth hostel that are popular with DIY tour lovers. The town has 13 high-standard star hotels, with more than 1,600 rooms in all, which can accommodate 2,500 guests. The Waterside Resort, one of the main conference halls, will be holding many functions and will be responsible for various tasks.
Sightseeing
Wuzhen's East and West gates are tourist areas, while the North and South are for living. To fully experience the town, an overnight stay is recommended with a sightseeing tour of East Gate at around 3 hours, and at West Gate, 5-7 hours. This year, Wuzhen has been promoting smart tourism, with the whole area covered by WIFI, and an official website and interaction via WeChat and online forums. An online sales site provides information on accommodations, tickets, service packages and local products, and you can book these services through a PC or mobile phone.
East Gate attractions: the Huiyuan Pawnshop, Fangluge Restaurant, Shadow Play, Hanlin Mansion, Xiuzhen Taoist Temple, Ancient Stage, Mao Dun Residence, Yu Liuliang Coin House, Woodcarving House, Blue Print Dye House, Gongsheng Rice Wine House, Wuzhen Folk Culture Museum, Jiangnan Antique Bed Museum, Traditional Workshops, Xiangshan Pharmacy, Boat Kongfu Shows, and Fengyuan Double Bridge.
Attractions in West Gate: There is a wide range of attractions, including: Andufang Port, Herb-dyeing Shop, Zhaoming Institute, Yudu Bridge, 3-inch Golden Lotus Museum, Old Post Office, Water Stage, Story-telling House, Hengyitang Pharmacy, Zhu Mansion, Jinyin Folk Culture Museum, Bridge in a Bridge (Tongji and Renji Bridge), White Lotus Tower Temple, Wenchang Temple, Guandi Temple, Water Theater, Shitian Square, Yida Silk Workshop, Wujin Brocade Workshop, General Wu's Temple, Xiushui Covered Street, Dingsheng Bridge, Lingshui Garden, and Mao Dun Memorial Hall.
Tower in White Lotus Temple
There is a description of the town as "one taoist temple, two towers, nine temples and thirteen monasteries". The White Lotus Tower Temple is one of these, and no matter where you take a photo at West Gate, the Tower is the best backdrop. It was built in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), and is still the tallest building in town. From one side of it, you can see the Grand Canal, and from the other, the small bridges and streams of Wuzhen.
Hongyuantai Dyehouse
The Chinese blue cloth from here is known worldwide. It was established between the Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368), originally at the South Gate, then moved to the current location during Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It produces both blue cloth and related products.
Bridge in a Bridge
West Gate has the Tongji Bridge running in a south-north direction, and the Renji Bridge running in an east-west direction, at a right to each other, so, no matter where you stand, you can see the other bridge clearly. From the south bank, you can see the reflection of the two bridge openings in the form of a circle that floats in and out of sight, giving Wuzhen a certain charm.
Free WIFI at tourist spots
To support the World Internet Conference, the town developed an information and communications network, which included two 10-GB and five 1-GB cables wired into the region so that all tourist attractions are covered with WIFI and there is 100-MB broadband everywhere.
Mobile payment in Wuzhen
In Wuzhen, you can use your mobile phone to pay for your hotel stay, a meal or tickets. Also, shops along West Gate St, Nuhong St, and Tongan St have been hanging out a tiny blue sign that indicates the shop supports Alipay. On streets where inns/hotels are located, visitors can search the prices of rooms or make reservations by scanning the two-dimensional code.
