The construction of Linping New City is currently underway, starting with a central business district area of 415 hectares, scheduled for completion within a decade. High-rise residences have begun to climb skywards in the surrounding area.

    Linping New City will cover an area of 7.5 square kilometers, which together with the existing old town, doubles its size. Other places along the railway corridor have opted to upgrade commercial support facilities, whereas Yuhang is practically building a new city near the high-speed station.

    The multi-center urbanization pattern is not just an accidental side effect of the new railway’s arrival, but a strategic regional policy. Under Hangzhou’s urban planning Linping is designed to expand as a satellite city in greater Hangzhou, helped by the high-speed railway and the extension of Hangzhou’s Subway Line 1.

    As she peers from her window in hope of spotting customers, Wu might not understand the transition from the old to the new, but on the basis of experience she can console the new shopkeepers, “Business is not great right now, but just be patient. Things are going to look up.”