Regional-university partnerships spur Pingyao's development

Pingyao county located in North China's Shanxi province has been integrating the high-quality resources of its university talent, technology and projects in recent years.

The aim is to advance the protection of cultural relics, develop cultural tourism, transform industry and revitalize its rural areas. 

To date, the county has reached partnership agreements with 25 universities and has rolled out 34 joint projects, as well brought in five top-flight groups of talent and teams. 

Cultural relics protection

Pingyao has signed an agreement with Tongji University on the protection of the Ancient City of Pingyao. They have set up the Shanxi Historical and Cultural Heritage Digitalization Platform and the Ruan Yisan Cultural Heritage Protection and Inheritance Research Center in the China Piaohao Museum in the county.

Moreover, the two sides have raised over 700,000 yuan ($98,231) to repair residential dwellings in ancient villages and to build cultural relic protection sheds.

The county has used Zhejiang University's education center for the digital protection of cultural relics in the local Shuanglin Temple, aiming to establish digital files that permanently preserve and sustainably reproduce the ancient buildings, colored sculptures and murals in the temple. 

Elsewhere, Chongqing University's education center for cultural relics protection and surveillance has established a presence in the Confucius Temple in the county, to carry out monitoring of the structural stability of Dacheng Hall in the temple. 

Cultural, tourism development

Taking advantage of the establishment of professional industrial towns for Pingyao beef and polished lacquerware, Pingyao Beef Group Co and Shanxi Agricultural University have jointly established a technological achievement transformation base.

In addition, Pingyao Tangdu Polished Lacquerware Co and the Communication University of Shanxi and Shandong University of Art & Design have cooperated to establish an R & D creative center and creative design base, as well as a talent pool for promoting the development of Pingyao beef and polished lacquerware. 

Industrial transformation

Shanxi Huaxing Electric Founding Co and Pingyao Tong Miao Motorcycle Co, have signed respective agreements on industry-university-research institute cooperation with the Taiyuan University of Science and Technology. The university's undergraduate innovation and entrepreneurship practice centers have set up stations in the two companies to help transform the casting industry.   

Relying on the Pingyao New Metal Materials Academician Working Station, Shanxi Liangyu Carbon Co, the Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, North University of China and Southeast University, have jointly developed an engineering technology research center for carbon-based new materials.

The aim is to develop Pingyao as a national strategic raw materials supply hub. 

Rural vitalization

In another partnership, Pingyao Guoqing Poultry Industry Co and Northwest A & F University have jointly established a college sci-tech technological achievement commercialization center. This is said to have greatly improved the immunization and environmental prevention and control of the company's poultry, and helped over 60 farming households to become partner breeders with the company. 

Finally, Pingyao Huagu Sketch Research Culture Co and the College of Arts at Taiyuan University of Technology have signed a cooperation agreement to jointly erect a center for the practical teaching of drawing sketches. This is taking advantage of Pingyao's rural cultural resources and is also helping to boost the development of rural cultural tourism.