Full coverage: G20 Hangzhou Summit

China has plenty of experience to fall back on when hosting major events such as the G20 Summit. We just have to look at the success of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. But this is unchartered territory for a city which is just making its name on the international stage really.

This year for the first time, China is hosting the G20 Leaders’ summit. All eyes around the world are on the G20 economies, the summit, and the city of Hangzhou.

For the high-profile event, the city has given its urban facilities a facelift. Take this residence in Sixingfang for example. Built in the 1920s, the neighborhood was Hangzhou’s first ever real estate project for sale in modern times. And it is hard to believe the amount of work that has gone into its transformation.

Since November 2015, 57 illegal structures and 132 broken canopies and chimneys here have been demolished. More than 10 million yuan has been invested in upgrading 10,000 square meters.

This is just one of 651 infrastructure renovation projects in Hangzhou, covering environmental treatment, hotels for state guests, and airport expressways. But hardware improvements alone are far from enough.

The city of 7 million permanent residents has mobilized more than 760,000 volunteers. That is nearly one tenth of the population. Many senior citizens conduct regular street security patrols. And they are busy learning simple English phrases.