Ancient town takes advanced Net role

In November, I visited Wuzhen, a historic town in Zhejiang province famous for its scenic canals, traditional stone bridges and picturesque houses lining the waterways.

As I walked through the tourist site's narrow alleys, my smartphone beeped intermittently - reminding me of the free Wi-Fi connection for getting online.

When I passed by an inn with an intricate Chinese wooden facade, I peered inside and realized it was equipped with even faster Internet network speeds, TV sets and mobile phone chargers.

The inn had been turned into a media center for journalists covering the inaugural World Internet Conference, which attracted more than 1,000 participants and focused on hot digital topics including cybersecurity, online anti-terrorism and cross-border e-commerce.

In October, several participants asked Lu Wei, director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, the conference's organizer, why this ancient town was picked to host the event.

"We wanted a place with a booming economy that could also represent our traditional culture, a historical area that could also make the Internet more charming," Lu said.

After repeated discussions and research with specialists, the administration decided on Wuzhen as the permanent venue for the conference, he said.

Shao Yun, a consultant from Wuzhen Tourism Development, said Wuzhen was one of the first Chinese towns of its kind where modern telecom routes and water pipes were laid underground, "which means its appearance is ancient, but it is filled with advanced ideas inside", he said.

The network facilities were set up in 2003 and about 70 percent of the tourists who subsequently visited the town arrived there after surfing the Internet for travel information, Shao said.

The network continues to boost the town's tourism and its buildings boast state-of-the-art Internet facilities, he said.

Shen Yi, an associate professor at Fudan University, participated in the conference from Nov 19 to 21. Shen said now is the right time for China to change its global Internet role.

"We should have a worldwide voice instead of just listening to a number of developed countries," he said.

"It's necessary for us to exchange ideas."