In Kaixian, residents ride bicycles to get around.
In the hilly city of Chongqing, bicycles are mostly used for sports and leisure by some residents, but in Kaixian, they have become one of the main modes of transportation. Since last year, Kaixian has invested in a total of 1,000 public bicycles and 28 parking stations. With just a swipe of a card, you can ride for free for 90 minutes. The low-carbon and environmentally friendly bicycle has become a lifestyle for the people of Kaixian.
Ding Dagui lives on Binhu Road in Kaixian. Every morning, she doesn’t need to rush out to squeeze onto a bus. Instead, she takes a leisurely four- or five-minute walk to a bicycle station, swipes her card, and rides a bike to work. “It takes me just over ten minutes to reach a return station, then a few more minutes of walking to get to my company,” said Ding Dagui. This way of commuting not only exercises her body but also contributes to the city’s environmental protection.
“The terrain of old Kaixian is relatively flat, and residents are used to riding bicycles. After the Three Gorges Reservoir was filled, the old city was submerged, but the new county seat is even more open and flat, making it even more suitable for cycling,” said Sheng Yong, head of the Kaixian Transportation Bureau.
“With free bikes, it feels like the distance between home and the park has suddenly become much shorter,” said 45-year-old Liu Sanxiang. “I hope more bike stations can be set up in the future, especially at the entrances of residential communities, so more people can enjoy the benefits.”
Sheng Yong explained that each bicycle is equipped with an electronic tag, enabling unmanned and intelligent storage and retrieval. Residents aged 16 to 65 who apply for a rental card can borrow and return bicycles at any rental point. The first 90 minutes are free, and after that, a fee of 1 yuan per hour is charged. Out-of-town visitors only need to show their ID, pay a 300-yuan deposit, and apply for a temporary rental card to explore Kaixian freely. “The urban area of Kaixian covers more than 20 square kilometers, and cycling for 90 minutes is generally enough to cover the entire area. So under normal circumstances, residents don’t need to pay when renting a bicycle.”
Currently, dozens of kilometers of bicycle lanes have been built along major roads in the county town, such as Kaizhou Avenue and Nanshan Avenue. As the city develops, Kaixian will continue to increase the number of bicycles and parking stations.
Each station shed of Kaixian’s public bicycles is connected to a backend system, allowing the management center to monitor the borrowing and returning of bicycles in real time. “We can track which rental card holder took a bike, when it was returned, how many bikes are stored at each station, and how many spaces are available,” said Sheng Yong. The management center adjusts the distribution of bicycles based on changes at each station to maintain a roughly balanced number. According to reports, since its launch in 2011, Kaixian’s public bicycle system has issued over 6,205 rental cards, with 659,000 rentals and returns, averaging over 1,000 rentals per day.
Public Discussion on Civilized City Building
Zhang Chongxin, Member of the Standing Committee of the Kaixian County Party Committee and Head of the Propaganda Department: As a city with a high sense of happiness, free bicycles have become the best choice for residents’ travel. They truly integrate civilized city building into people’s daily lives, allowing civilization to grow from the feet of citizens and enveloping everyone in its fragrance.
Li Xiaoming, Deputy Minister of the Kaixian County Party Committee Propaganda Department and Director of the Civilization Office: By advocating for civilized, green, and healthy travel among citizens, Kaixian enhances the public’s “happiness index,” helping them find a sense of dignity and realize their value as the masters of the city.
Qiu Xiaoping, Resident of Mingjingshi Community, Wenfeng Subdistrict, Kaixian: This people-oriented approach to city building in Kaixian has turned the concept of “building for the people” into tangible livelihood and heartwarming projects, improving the living conditions and lifestyles of ordinary residents. At the same time, it reflects Kaixian’s strong cultural awareness, making “building for the people” a key element of a “Happy Kaixian.”
Reporter’s Observations
Kaixian’s Urban Charm Through Civilization and Low-Carbon Initiatives
Today’s Kaixian not only boasts the fragrance of a “beautiful reservoir county” but also the warmth of wheels rolling everywhere. Reporters randomly interviewed several residents by Hanfeng Lake in Kaixian, and most agreed that what impressed them most and benefited them the most in the city’s civilized development were the courteous behavior at crosswalks, the public bicycles solving transportation issues, and the trees planted by Hanfeng Lake specifically for tourists and residents.
The inclusiveness and cultivation represented by a civilized city lie in listening to public opinion, driving progress, and experiencing civilization from the ground up. In Kaixian, the breeze of civilization is never short of individual strength: from moral model Pan Guangquan, to a group of exemplary figures, to the collective kindness of an entire city. Citizens are the main force in building a civilized county, and in the process of creating a civilized city, their own quality improves, and their sense of happiness continues to grow.