It is a historical task to promote the urbanisation process of China. However, what kind of urbanisation suits China best, and which path should be taken, have always been controversial in the Chinese academia.

Professor LI Zenggang from Shandong University presented a case study of Zhanglou Village in Qingzhou, Shandong Province. He thought it was impossible for the rural labour to enter cities. The case study provides a different route for urbanisation.

Professor LI introduced that the key to the success of Zhanglou Village was the concept of “Equal Rural Urban Values” that understate the differences between cities and rural areas while stressing the values created in both areas in order to keep the local residents where they are.

The research project was sponsored by Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, a German foundation, and the results were carefully assessed. Professor LI also reflected on the concept of urbanisation in the research. Strictly speaking, urbanisation means transferring rural residents to cities. As China adopts the household registration system that differentiates the rural and urban residents, the onsite urbanisation process, therefore, refers to those who are still living in rural areas while registered as urban residents. What’s key to this process is the construction and betterment of the rural areas.