Third, we stepped up protection of the historic and cultural sites in Beijing, and cultural programs of the capital continued to flourish.

We strengthened protection of the entire old town by seeking UNESCO World Heritage status for the Central Axis. We believe that historical remains and heritage sites must be cherished and treated with reverence. A total of 48 key projects were completed, including the clearance and restoration of the Qingcheng Palace Complex within the Altar of the God of Agriculture, revitalizing 15 heritage sites including the Altar of Land and Grain. We renovated and reopened a series of revolutionary heritage sites that reflect the route taken by the Party's central leadership from Xibaipo to Beijing back in 1949, and opened the site of the National Mongolian and Tibetan School to the public. Moshikou Historical and Cultural Block is brimming with vitality. A number of hutongs were renovated while preserving their authentic structure, enabling more residents in these traditional courtyards to enjoy modern amenities.

We made significant strides in the development of the three cultural belts7. The first phase of the Grand Canal Fountainhead Park is now open to visitors. The construction of the heritage site park at the ancient government seat of Luxian County8 was expedited. The main stretch of the Jingji Great Wall National Scenic Drive, spanning 445 kilometers, was unveiled. We successfully turned the "three hills and five gardens"9 into a demonstration area of cultural heritage protection and utilization. Through these endeavors, the city has taken on a new look that seamlessly blends history and culture, natural landscapes, and modern facilities.

We carried out extensive public cultural programs, and launched a three-year plan to establish Beijing as a capital of performing arts. A total of 17,000 events under the "Capital Civic Life" series were held, and the number of commercial performances surpassed 40,000. Another 11 museums were registered, and 27 quasi-museums were opened. In addition, we improved the ticket reservation system for tourist attractions. The first Beijing International Week of Intangible Cultural Heritage was a big success. These efforts have brought more and more Beijing's valuable cultural heritage to life.

We advanced cultural-ethical development of the capital. A total of 11 literary and artistic creations won the national Best Works Awards, leading the country for three consecutive editions. We endeavored to make Beijing Role Models program a well-recognized brand name. We combated illegal ticket scalping in the commercial performance market, strengthened efforts to rectify 12 types of traffic violations, and continued our initiative to build districts with a high level of public civility. A total of 4.61 million volunteers tirelessly navigated the streets and alleys to offer their services. Through these efforts, the core socialist values have gained broader public acceptance and support.

Fourth, we increased inputs in ensuring the wellbeing of our citizens, leading to a steady improvement in their quality of life.

We used every possible means to boost employment, including the adoption of 15 measures to stabilize employment. We intensified efforts to ensure employment of key groups and in key areas. As a result, over 281,000 urban jobs were created. Furthermore, we extended assistance to 197,000 individuals facing difficulties in finding employment.

We worked hard to develop education that meets the people's expectations. We introduced policies to deliver public-interest nursery care. Over 6,000 nursery slots were added in kindergartens, raising the coverage of affordable kindergartens to 93%. We also added another 38,000 places at primary and middle schools, and ensured that the paired partnership program extended to all compulsory education schools. We rolled out a new round of reforms in the senior middle school entrance examinations. Category-based specialization of Beijing affiliated universities was expedited.

We went all out to safeguard the health of our people, and efficiently responded to multiple episodes of epidemic resurgence and the heightened incidence of respiratory infections during autumn and winter. A citywide platform for hospital outpatient appointments was established, and mobile payment using medical insurance reimbursement accounts is now accepted at 110 hospitals across Beijing. We further facilitated the post-Olympic use of the facilities and venues. The newly upgraded Beijing Workers' Stadium was brought into use. We retrofitted or expanded a number of sports parks and fitness facilities, and organized 33,000 public fitness initiatives and sports events of all kinds.

We made significant improvements in eldercare services, with a focus on establishing a comprehensive eldercare service network. This network is anchored by service centers located in sub-districts/townships and supplemented by community-based service stations. We explored innovative approaches to improve home-based eldercare, and added 6,232 eldercare beds tailored to diverse needs, 232 rural neighborhood eldercare sites, and 243 catering service stations for seniors. In addition, 822 elevators were installed in old residential buildings.

We exerted ourselves to ensure stability in the real estate market. With measures ensuring the completion and delivery of overdue housing projects, we saw the overall risk in Beijing's property projects substantially reduced. We also refined policies for homebuyers, delivered 82,000 units of subsidized rental housing, and completed the construction of 93,000 units of subsidized housing of all types.

We made efforts to strengthen social security. We raised the baseline benefit levels of social security, social assistance, and children's welfare. Women and children now enjoy a more enabling environment for their development. The social security and service systems for people with disabilities were improved. We adopted targeted measures to address salient issues in funeral services.

We stepped up comprehensive management of the city's transport system. The completion of the last section of Subway Line 16 and the north section of Subway Line 17 in 2023 extended the total length of in-service urban rail transit lines to over 1,200 kilometers. To optimize road capacity, we rescheduled restrictive hours for 656 kilometers of bus-only lanes, finetuned 144 bus routes, and introduced 50 customized school-only bus service routes. By strategically optimizing the locations of bus stops and rail transit stations, we have ensured that 86% of bus-to-subway transfers are now within a 50-meter distance. As a result, there has been a significant improvement in traffic flow around Beijing's seven railway stations, two airports, and other key areas. We fully phased out non-compliant electric tricycles and quadricycles, and enforced stricter parking regulation for shared bikes.

We furthered reform to deliver swift response to public complaints. We adopted a proactive approach to address problems by focusing on one topical issue per month, and addressed 95.5% of all the calls made by the public with a satisfaction rate of 96.1%. We consistently prioritized two crucial "minor" details, namely waste sorting and property management. A total of 2,800 residential communities and villages became role models of waste sorting and the coverage of property services in residential housing reached 97%.

Notes: 

[7]The "three cultural belts" refers to the Grand Canal Cultural Belt, the Great Wall Cultural Belt, and the Western Hill-Yongding River Cultural Belt.

[8]The park is built on the remains of the ancient government seat of Luxian County in West Han Dynasty, now part of Tongzhou District.

[9]The "three hills and five gardens" refers to a group of historical and cultural heritage sites in the northwest suburbs of Beijing, represented by imperial gardens of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).