Transforming business and amenities

Beijing ETown is not only a place where entrepreneurs reach for their business dreams. It is also a community where people lead a high-quality life.

Among the amenities are reading rooms open to all residents.

Almost all the large companies, tech parks and residential areas now have reading rooms, part of an initiative that has built some 100 public facilities for employees to read and gather for cultural activities.

Started in 2008, the program has benefited more than 130,000 people. A newly launched online library will reach even more.

The program integrates resources from the 100 reading rooms and 1.05 million books at Beijing Polytechnic, a college in ETown. People can apply for a reading card and then get information and e-books from any of the reading rooms.

According to an official from ETown, the reading rooms are actually multi-purpose venues for cultural activities that include writing and singing competitions and also photography exhibitions.

The emerging satellite town is also equipped with basic facilities for education and healthcare.

ETown offers comprehensive education from kindergartens to primary, middle and high schools, as well as vocational colleges.

It has community clinics and private international healthcare facilities as well as the public Tongren Hospital.

Gyms, yoga centers and swimming pools around the dormitories and rental homes offer venues for residents to relax and exercise.

The industrial park also has an ongoing business complex with office buildings, a shopping mall, residences and entertainment facilities.

For tourists, ETown offers food from around the world and of course authentic Beijing cuisine.

With cafes commonplace, employees can have a break from busy work and travelers can experience a relaxing afternoon at a technology park.

The haunt of royal families in several dynasties, the location of Beijing ETown still has sprawling grassland and forests.

At Nanhaizi Park, people can enjoy picturesque landscape and fresh air at the city's largest wetland park whose total area is four times that of the Summer Palace.

The country's first natural reserve for milu deer is a popular tourist site in the Nanhaizi Park. During weekends and holidays, downtown residents drive to the park to spend some time with the nature and animals.

Visitors can enjoy the specialties of Daxing district - pears, watermelon and mulberries.

fuchao@chinadialy.com.cn

(China Daily 11/10/2014 page30)