European cities serve models for China's urbanization

China recently said it would turn about 1,000 towns into dynamic environmental, cultural and economic hubs by 2020, which would create innumerable new jobs and give rise to new communities.

Since China has about 3,000 counties and 18,000 towns and is home to diverse regional cultures, the decision appears conservative, although turning a town into a heritage place is a time-consuming process.

Despite these facts, the decision is encouraging because it indicates China's new urbanization policy, which in the past mainly focused on building cities of varying sizes. The move also indicates China's determination to explore the richness of its diverse regional cultures by protecting as well as promoting its natural and historic treasures.