XIONG'AN: AN EMERGING HUB OF INNOVATION, LIVABILITY

Eight years on, new area continues to attract talent, high-tech enterprises

Editor's note: In April 2017, China's central authorities announced the establishment of Xiong'an New Area in Hebei province. Over the past eight years, Xiong'an has played an important role as an engine for regional development by absorbing Beijing's noncapital functions and promoting innovation.

Chen Hongsheng, a 42-year-old researcher, has spent the past year building a new life in Xiong'an New Area — a rising innovation hub in Hebei province, 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing.

Relocated from the capital under a national initiative to decentralize noncapital functions, Chen is part of a wave of professionals drawn by the area's opportunities, cutting-edge industries and high-quality urban living environment.