Village Campaign to Boost Urban-Rural Integrated Development

How to drive safely? How to improve your health? How to prepare your children for school? How to grow leafy greens in containers? How to solve legal problems in your daily lives? And how to raise a polite pet?

All these questions and many others pertaining to rural life were clearly answered this morning in Mamen Village, suburban Jiading District, where villagers and outside visitors consulted with Shanghai's experts in culture, science and technology, hygiene and health.

Shanghai kicked off a high-profile campaign today in the suburban village to channel much-needed cultural, technological and medical resources to the countryside that serves to promote rural revitalization and boost urban-rural integrated development.

At the booth promoting traffic safety, many people participated in a well-designed game that served to educate the public about the dangers of drunk driving.

Participants were asked to wear special glasses that blurred their vision and then walk around two traffic cones before finally picking up a small object on the ground. Most participants, including the author, passed the test.

In addition to onsite consultation, high-quality books, among other things, were distributed.

It's the 31st year that Shanghai has distributed precious cultural, technological and medical resources to its villages. It's not a one-off project, but rather a long-term commitment to urban-rural integrated development.

Mamen Village is known for being home to many ceramic artists, who have created their works in the bosom of nature, attracting visitors from far and near.

During today's event, it was announced that high-quality ceramic products from Mamen Village will be displayed in a number of commercial areas, scenic sports and exhibition halls in downtown Shanghai in the future, helping blend rural art into urban life.