Heilongjiang has put the development of civilized cities at the top of its agenda and even held a meeting recently, in Mudanjiang, one of its largest cities, where experts discussed how to develop such cities.

Urban civilization is seen in the quality of its people, its culture, and other aspects, and is the city's image, the participants agreed.

And cultural development is an effective way to improve the standard of living and the quality of life, and it helps in social management, some officials said.

Mudanjiang also happens to be known for its civilized atmosphere as well as for Jingpo Lake, its rice, and its forests. It sits on the southeastern coast of Heilongjiang and has a history that goes way back.

In today's world, it is an important center for trade with Russia and a famous tourism destination in the Northeast. It has won honors for being an "Excellent Tourism City" and one of China's "10 most livable cities".

Zhang Jingchuan, Party chief of the Mudanjiang committee, says, "Mudanjiang has given civic construction a strategic role in urban development in recent years and its appearance seems to change with each passing day."

In fact, this is also a city of volunteers and people with devotion. This year alone, its volunteer service projects have attracted more than 100,000 people and have become a sort of urban highlight.

One outstanding example is 81-year-old Yang Fuxin, retired official who has been voluntarily patrolling Binjiang Park since 2004 to look after the public facilities and admonish people for uncivilized behavior, when necessary.

"Let's start with ourselves if we want to protect our city," Yang exhorted. "And from now on, try our best to build a more civilized place."

In the process, Zhang explained, the local authorities are focusing on three glaring issues - environmental problems, disorderly conduct, and improving services.

"We're actually trying to create a city-brand," he said.

The city has spent 186 million yuan ($29.2 million) in 2011 on roads and streets, especially Taiping Business Street, Ethnic Korean Street, and Russian Style Street.

During the same period, its green areas have grown by 50 hectares and around 1.7 million new trees have been added.

The city's green coverage is now 44 percent, putting it at the forefront in the province, in greenery.

It has also built or improved some other areas, such as Mingzhu Square, People's Park, and River Park, to provide better leisure space for the locals.

Under the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), Mudanjiang plans to continue with its civilizing mission in various ways, by regulating the urban and rural environment, improving traffic, and generally raising the quality of life.