On April 1, the Chinese central government
announced the establishment of the Xiongan new
Area (XnA) in Hebei Province, a new district to
rival the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the
Shanghai Pudong new Area. The district is expected
to integrate the development of Beijing, Tianjin and
Hebei and ease the strain on resources in the capital.
The three counties that are included in the XnA plan
- Rongcheng, Xiongxian and Anxin – have drawn
attention nationwide.
Hundreds of homebuyers from across the country
swarmed to the area during the three-day tomb-
sweeping festival, hoping to buy up property to
resell for a profit in the future. All three counties held
an emergency meeting on April 2, one day after the
announcement of the establishment of XnA, and
told the public that they would regulate the local
housing market to curb property speculations in thenew area.
A wave of excitement has swept the counties.
Thrilled by the plan, many locals living away from
their hometown are rushing back for new career
opportunities. Having a local hukou has suddenly
become more attractive. The foreseeable flood of
investment and funding has made both locals and
outsiders confident about the prospects of the area,
all craving to cut themselves a lucrative slice of cake.A memorial archway in XiongxianOn April 5, crowds of people wait in line for hukou registration at the police
station at Nanzhang, Rongcheng County. As a local police officer explained,
they’d only received five or six applications per day in the past, but on the
morning of April 5, over 60 applicants rushed to register