15-minute life circles elevate daily life

A Xifeng county resident shops at a farm produce market near her home. [Photo/xifeng.gov.cn]

These days life is sweet for the good folks of Xifeng county – administered by Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province – and it's easy to see why.

Things are really coming together because of its 15-minute life circles. In China, the concept of a 15-minute community life circle is increasingly being rolled out to communities. It aims to enable local residents to enjoy relatively complete basic public services – such as senior care, education and sports facilities – within a 15-minute walk from home.

"I'm happy with vegetables, fruit and the sports facilities downstairs, and I can bring up proposals and suggestions with the community if something bothers me," said contented Xifeng resident Liu Luoyou.

It seems that Liu's sentiments are shared widely. "It used to take me more than a 10 minute walk to buy my veggies, but now it's done in two," said Zhang, another local. "My community is also equipped with exercise equipment and is surrounded by schools, drug stores, hospitals, restaurants and theaters," Zhang added.

The changes are a part of the government's reforms to improve people's living conditions. From 2021 to 2023, the Nanmen life circle – one of the county's 15-minute life circles now under development – will launch 25 projects.

These include a multi-purpose playground, a business complex, a medical service station, a primary school and kindergarten – all designed to create an orderly and convenient living environment for the residents.