One Step Beyond In China's Anhui

By Shanti Ayadurai HUAINAN (CHINA), June 8 (Bernama) -- Stepping into the “time tunnel” of Huainan’s Big Data Demonstration Centre can be an enlightening experience. Enlightening because the integrated information, both past and present, streamed on both sides of the tunnel, amid a science fiction scenario, in a way indicates just how much technology and data-science derived technologies will continue to play a significant role in the shape of things to come in the future. Whether it is real time data displaying the on-goings of a street in this city in eastern China’s province of Anhui, or the capture of what happened in a particular public area a week back, or even some satellite transmitted information, the data is all there at the centre, taken with the use of some of world’s most innovative technologies and highly trained techies. A group of ASEAN journalists, during a recent tour of the Bigdata centre, were given an insight into the workings of the centre and its advanced data technologies. From the monitoring of public areas via CCTV and a huge tower, updating of climate and environment information to the real time details of mobile telephone use China-wide, it is a 24-hour operation like never seen before. A multi-functional and modern high tech pavilion, which was completed in 2107, the centre occupies about 5000 sq metres of space in the Shannan District, and features several sections including the big data application exhibition area, industry exhibition area, monitoring centre and a trading centre. In a way, it also reflects the new Huainan, which is diversifying its economy into the new age business of big data, cloud computing and the Internet. The big data from the centre is also being successfully applied to improve various areas of the city including the people’s livelihood, health care, tourism, transportation, satellite communications, finance and education, just as it has been accelerating the integration of government information platform resources, alongside the open sharing of public data interconnection, via the combination of data research, data industry and the digital economy. Returns from the centre have been growing with demand for data from clients, explained the project manager at the centre’s data transaction centre, Ding Song Bai. The opening up of China to the world, which began 40 years ago, however, is not only about its growing advancements in science and technology, but also about introducing the world to the country’s rich cultural and traditional heritage, said Ye Luzhong, the Mayor of Lu’an city, which the ASEAN media delegation had visited a day earlier. Ye, who is also Vice Secretary of Lu’an Municipal Committee of CPC, welcomed the media members to the city, and expressed the wish to strengthen ties with ASEAN members. He spoke of some of the literary greats and famous names from Lu’an, including Gan Yao, the Originator of Chinese Laws and Zhou Yu, a famous general in China’s Three Kingdoms period, and Li Gonglin, a great painter in Song Dynasty. The city, which has a long history and the cultural origin of Huaihe River civilization, dating back to 4,000 years, is also known for the famous and scenic Dabie Mountains, bamboo forests, gardens, teas, herbs, jade, Yipinzhai writing brushes and also the Wanzi white geeze. The delegation, earlier in the day had visited an irrigation and water treatment project started in 1958 in Lu'an, which has over the years helped increase production of crops and other agricultural products and reduce flood damage as well as supply treated water through the development of water resources, building of rural infrastructures and agricultural support services. From the bus that was quickly travelling through the villages in the surrounding areas of the project, the media group had a glimpse of the old and young busily tending to their plots of land in the late afternoon. A short distance away, modest but modern apartments had sprung up, lining up the streets, a complete contrast from the agricultural scenario, but surely an apt reflection of the modern and old China in harmony. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA