A ceremony unveiling Wulin Road as a role model for common prosperity was staged to the singing of a group of young music fans at the door of the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center on the night of September 12. 

At the ceremony, Gongshu District released its 2023 Action Plan for Building Demonstration Blocks for Common Prosperity, pledging to build a group of such blocks. Wulin Road was recognized as the first of demonstration block for common prosperity. 

Gongshu District started an action plan last year for reshaping its commercial landscape and revitalizing bricks-and-mortar stores around the Wulin Road. It has finished the first and second phases of projects to renovate the landscape and shopping environment of Wulin Road, and opened Zhejiang’s first pedestrian shopping street.  

Statistics showed that an average of more than 100,000 people visit the Wulin Road every day, and the number is 180,000 on weekends and holidays. Newly registered market entities on the road reached 183 in number, 47 of which are corporate businesses and 136 are privately-run stores. From January to July, taxes of these businesses registered 633 million yuan, and the total value of retail sales reached 710 million yuan, up 31.46 percent year on year. 

Projects for common prosperity were also announced at the ceremony. Together with them were the release of top 10 fashion stores, enjoyable shopping environment service program, Hangzhou’s first block-based charitable trust, Gongshu District’s first ambassadors for charity culture and the common prosperity partnership program. 

Yu Zhi Lan, the first Michelin-starred restaurant in the Wulin Road, drew much public attention. The restaurant has chosen Meihetang, a row of Shikumen residence, as its site. Wang Chenyu, brand chief of Yu Zhi Lan, said the restaurant is scheduled for opening at the end of 2023. Lan Guijun, founder of Yu Zhi Lan, will also open a restaurant dedicated to vegetarian dishes. The restaurant will open at the same time for the unveiling of Yu Zhi Lan. More Michelin-rated restaurants will also be launched later this year or next year. 

Notably, Wulin neighborhood office offers incentives in forms of entrepreneurial mentors and loans for start-ups to support entrepreneurship and boost the development of the neighborhood.