Integrated development picks up speed

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region shows new strength amid Xiong'an's 4th anniversary

When Li Jianhe left his hometown, the county of Rongcheng in Hebei province, for the megacity of Beijing in 1996, he was determined he would never go back.

To Li, as a college student at the age of 17, the small county－which is about two hours' drive from Beijing－represented backwardness and a lack of opportunity for him, in sharp contrast with the bustling capital.

However, two decades later, he made up his mind to leave Beijing and relocate to his hometown immediately after China announced the development of a new area in Hebei－the Xiong'an New Area, which spans three counties including Rongcheng－on April 1, 2017.