Futuristic approach to socioeconomic growth

China is a futuristic country. At least that is the idea you get when you visit the country.

From sci-fi-like technology to literal planning for the future, China has it all.

You can never be prepared enough to see and experience China, especially if you are a first-timer.

And if you want to see trains passing through hills, mountains and even residential apartments and business premises, go to Chongqing.

“Is Kenya able to develop a hilly place like Taita Taveta county in such a manner?” I kept asking myself.

I was among 17 African journalists blown away by the experience during a recent visit to the city in southwestern China.

We went via an Air China plane that touched down at Jiangbei International Airport around 9.20pm.

We were not ready for the heat that hit our faces upon stepping out of the plane.

The temperatures were hovering around 37 degrees Celsius despite it being in the evening.

The trip to Chongqing was a particularly interesting one for me, a journalist from Mombasa.

Mombasa county is a warm, humid place, and this was enough to prepare me for the weather in Chongqing. Or so I thought.

I was wrong. What I experienced in Chongqing was nothing like Mombasa.

Unlike Mombasa, the heat in Chongqing was wild and literally burning the skin. But every house, unlike in Mombasa, has an air conditioner, providing respite.

RAILWAY WONDER

My greatest interest in the ‘Mountain City’, as Chongqing is referred to sometimes, was the Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 at Liziba Station in Yuzhong district.

On TikTok and YouTube, I had watched the trains passing through a residential building, and I thought it was an AI (Artificial Intelligence) thing.

But lo and behold, it was literally there, in front of my eyes.

I could only watch in awe and wonder as the trains passed through a 19-storey residential building, between the sixth and the eighth floor.

Liziba station is built directly inside the building and has become a famous tourist attraction in Chongqing, showcasing the city’s innovative approach to urban planning.

Applying multiple technologies, the monorail enables trains to run through buildings without causing the structures to shake.

You don’t feel it passing if you are watching a movie inside your living room.

Located at the confluence of the Yangtze and the Jialing rivers, Chongqing has steadily expanded outwards across mountain ranges and valleys.

With mountains covering about 76 per cent of the terrain, it would have been a challenge to develop such an area. Not for China.

The larger Chongqing Metropolis is China’s most populous municipality, with an estimated 32 million people living across its 26 districts, eight counties and four autonomous counties.

It is one of China’s four municipalities directly under the central government control, alongside Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. Such is its importance to the country.

‘CRAZY’ ARCHITECTURE

A defining feature upon arrival in China is the sheer scale of infrastructure development. Chongqing is no exception.

What with escalators in streets connected to flyovers, providing easy transportation across the hilly streets.

I laughed in disbelief when I saw an escalator in the streets, taking people across a street, with vehicles passing below it.

I imagined it was the flyover at Buxton in Mombasa that had an escalator.

“It would either have been turned into an open air market with hawkers selling their wares on it,” I thought, shaking my head.

“Or vandalised by the ‘jobless’ removing some of its parts and selling it as scrap metal.”

Such is the level of our indiscipline.

It is impressive that despite the mountainous nature of Chongqing, which is the reason it is called Mountain City, the Chinese found a way to make it work, designing buildings and roads to fit into the irregular landscape.

The Kuixing Tower, a result of great architectural design in light of the irregular landscape, is a marvel and should be one of the wonders of the world.

The main square lies on the 22nd floor of the building. However, one side of the same building is at — get this — ground level.

“It’s crazy! A big shoutout to the engineers and architects in China,” a journalist colleague from Namibia said.

I could only nod my head in agreement.

A local explained that in Chongqing, the ground floor of a building could be on the first, fourth or 10th floor, depending on which side you enter it from. “You could enter the second floor of a building, walk straight ahead and find yourself on the seventh floor on the other side of the same floor. It can be confusing,” she said.

“Chongqing serves as an example of how geography, politics and industrial development may influence one of the planet’s complex urban settings in the context of contemporary city planning.”

She was right.

The city’s breathtaking blend of modern development, clean green streets and impressive architecture against a backdrop of natural beauty makes it a place to be desired.

PLAYING CATCH-UP

Kenya is endowed with almost same natural sceneries. If only we could be at the same level as China, which was a poor country in 1960.

In fact, in 1960, with a per capita income of USD89 (about Sh11,497 today), China was poorer than Kenya, which had a per capita income of USD97 (about Sh12,530 today) then.

China’s per capita income was USD13,122 (about Sh1.7 million) in 2024, while Kenya’s was USD2,305 (about Sh298,000).

Although famous for its spicy food, Chongqing’s allure goes far beyond cuisine.

There are many tourist attraction sites that tell the history of not only the city but of China as a whole.

These include the domed Great Hall of the People, which stands majestically over the People’s Square, the Three Gorges Museum, which showcases ancient artefacts and history of the Three Gorges Dam construction, among others.

The Han Chinese, the largest of China’s 56 officially recognised ethnic communities, reside here mostly. They are about 900 million in total across China.

A cosmopolitan city, Chongqing hosts about 49 other ethnic groups, such as Tujia, Hui, Manchu, Mongol and Miao.

And it’s not just a historical and cultural city; it holds strategic importance for China’s development.

It was the first inland city to open to foreign trade in 1981, and was officially established as a city in 1929.

The Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-Hub Mega-Region and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor are critical to the city’s role in the Belt and Road Initiative, connecting more than 480 ports in 120 countries worldwide.

The city’s rapid industrial development has transformed it into a manufacturing powerhouse, too.

It is among the top automotive production hubs in China and is the world’s largest producer of laptops.

This is because Chongqing is striving to build a modern manufacturing system centred around intelligent vehicles, next-gen electronics and advanced materials.

It leads in innovation hubs in smart technology, life sciences, and green technologies.

The city’s transportation infrastructure is equally impressive, featuring a multimodal network of rail, road, water and air transport.

With more than 1,000km of high-speed rail, 4,000km of expressways and an extensive river shipping system, it serves as a comprehensive transportation hub.

In 2023, Chongqing’s GDP reached RMB 3.01 trillion (more than USD 424 billion), reflecting a 6.1 per cent growth.

Numerous cultural and natural treasures exist in the city.

The Dazu Rock Carvings is one of Chongqing’s most iconic cultural sites.

A Unesco World Heritage, there are more than 50,000 statues carved into rock formations, each telling a story dating back more than a millennium.

These carvings stand alongside other famous rock art in China, such as the Mogao Caves and the Yungang Grottoes.

No visit to Chongqing would be complete without experiencing its famous hot pot cuisine, a spicy culinary tradition that involves dipping fresh ingredients into a boiling broth.

Accompanied by local fruits and juices, the hot pot experience is a sensory delight.

The city’s markets offer an abundance of local produce, including pumpkins, taro, maize, sea food and fresh vegetables.

Chongqing hotpot, characterised by its numbing spicy flavour, originated in the late Ming to early Qing dynasties as an extensive way of boat trackers' catering and is one of the popular cuisines in China.

As night falls, Chongqing’s streets come alive.

Along the Jialing River, locals and tourists alike gather to enjoy the glittering lights of the city, the illuminated bridges and the relaxing atmosphere that invites you to extend your stay.

Chongqing’s beauty, history and vibrancy offer a truly unique experience for anyone fortunate enough to visit.

This city, with its rich blend of culture, industry and nature, is a testament to China’s development and a gateway to understanding its past, present and future.

If only Taita Taveta, or Kenya at large, were at Chongqing’s level!

Here’s to hoping that with slow and sure strides, Kenya will someday rub shoulders with China at an equal standing.

But first, Kenya has to plan for the future in advance.

Like building an expressway to nowhere, like in Chongqing, where an expressway, full with lighting, runs through a forested area.

Only that the expressway is yet to start operation, not because it is not complete but because it leads to an area where there are no human activities, yet. After all, it is for the future, not now.