How Digital Tech is Transforming Zhejiang's Rural Communities

BEIJING, Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on digital transformation in rural areas:

"I took the bullet train from Beijing to Xi'an. That was a great experience. Train stations were amazing. The Terracotta Warriors [are] one of the wonders of the world. And just make sure you look out the window and you're not on your phone because there's so much to see." American entrepreneur Elon Musk recently shared these observations about his travels in China during an interview.

When it comes to impressions of China, overseas observers often focus on its technology, history and scenery. Yet across the vast countryside of Zhejiang province, another remarkable transformation is quietly unfolding. It does not begin with grand projects, but with everyday concerns of villagers: building a rural road, laying high-speed internet cables and ensuring access to clean drinking water. Behind these seemingly ordinary needs is a common approach to solving them: using digital technologies to bridge the urban-rural divide and reshape the way rural communities develop.

In Zhejiang, digital transformation is making rural life better.

Digital technologies are making rural governance more proactive. In Wandi village on the outskirts of Ningbo, digital twin technology has created a replica of the entire village on screen. Water-level sensors and high-mounted cameras work around the clock. When there's a risk of flooding, the system issues an alert within seconds, shifting the focus from passive response to proactive prevention.

Digital technologies are also making rural industries smarter. In Zhejiang's tea plantations and greenhouses, farmers can water and fertilize their crops with just a few taps on their phones. Smart agricultural systems are making farming more precise and efficient. More importantly, the internet has helped connect urban and rural markets. The rapid growth of rural e-commerce allows agricultural products deep in the mountains to reach consumers across the country, bringing more prosperity to rural communities.

Digital technologies are making essential services more accessible in rural areas. Whether on remote islands or in isolated villages, residents can use a smart online system to connect with specialists at major city hospitals for remote consultations. Meanwhile, government services are just a tap away. A province-wide government services app allows villagers to access a range of essential services, from eldercare and healthcare to childcare, without having to leave their villages.

The roots of this transformation can be traced back to 2003, when Zhejiang launched its Green Rural Revival Program. At first, this initiative focused primarily on improving the rural environment. But over the following two-plus decades, it evolved into a systematic approach to rural development: first making villages cleaner, then more beautiful, and then more prosperous. Today, the program has entered a new stage of digital transformation, making rural communities smarter.

Digital technologies are reshaping rural areas across China in profound ways. At the heart of this transformation is a simple goal: improving people's lives. This is a vivid reflection of Chinese modernization: ensuring that everyone, whether living in a megacity or a rural community, can share in the benefits of modernization.

SOURCE China.org.cn