In the eighth national civilized city creation cycle’s first annual evaluation, Quanzhou’s Dehua County in Fujian Province earned an excellent rating, as announced on September 30, 2026. Local leaders integrated urban civilization development directly into grassroots governance, daily livelihood enhancements, and cultural preservation, successfully shifting municipal creation from periodic campaigns into permanent, routine administration.
Digital Platforms Drive Grassroots Governance in Dehua County
In Longxun Town’s Dayang Community, local administrators, grid workers, building supervisors, and volunteers conduct daily patrols. When these teams spot issues involving blocked roads, parking violations, or environmental concerns, they upload the data via the “Dehua Civilization Signal Map Management Cloud Platform.” Relevant departments then review, dispatch, and correct the reported items. Residents can similarly flag problems through WeChat groups and a “snapshot” photo feature. When residents in Xiangbing Community reported traffic safety hazards along a local curve, grid workers coordinated with relevant authorities to hold an onsite consultation, swiftly adding speed bumps and installing security monitors to remove the risk. This digital reporting loop now operates across the entire county.
Dehua implements a “single network” governance model for its civilized districts. County-level leaders serve as district chiefs across 32 distinct zones, while seven functional working groups address specific assessment metrics to eliminate weaknesses. By relying on digital tools, the county built a closed-loop system of discovery, task assignment, rectification, and feedback.
Did You Know?
Infrastructure Upgrades and Livelihood Projects Across the County
Civilian initiatives translate directly into tangible improvements for local residents. Over the past three years, Dehua completed over 30 residential community renovations, executed shantytown upgrades benefiting more than 3,000 households, and finished minor enhancements across 60 backstreets and alleys. Urban planners also rebuilt over 200 right-turn lanes in the city center and deployed a functioning smart traffic system. Overall, local authorities invested more than 10 billion yuan to advance key public projects in education, healthcare, elder care, and municipal parks, while steadily expanding the “15-minute convenient living circle.”
Civil service networks also stretch between rural towns and the urban center. To accommodate large numbers of township residents who move to the city for work, Dehua constructed a “1+16” urban-rural integrated civilization practice complex. The county’s central civilization station acts as the core, paired with 16 town-level resident service offices in the urban area. The county established convenience service points across 241 civilization practice stations and 73 neighborhood centers, giving residents easy access to administrative tasks and cultural activities near their homes.
By tying senior leadership directly to 32 specific zones, Dehua ensures that grassroots problems are met with immediate administrative accountability rather than administrative delay.
Preserving Ceramic Heritage and Promoting Public Culture
Beyond municipal operations, the cultural roots of Dehua—historically known as a capital of ceramics—are deeply woven into local civil development. The county continuously expands public cultural offerings, driving the construction of an “affectionate and happy city” where community kitchens reach every single village. Civilization fairs featuring free medical clinics and haircuts operate more than 2,000 times annually, while over 120 ancient ancestral halls have been successfully converted into public cultural spaces like elder activity centers and family-tradition exhibition halls.
To protect historical craftsmanship, Dehua enforces a strict preservation plan for the Dehua窑 (Dehua Kiln) heritage sites and builds a “city of a hundred ceramic museums.” Local schools now incorporate the textbook “Ceramics” into classrooms, and children routinely participate in practical ceramic workshops. At the same time, the county operates a dedicated ceramic copyright protection and trading exhibition center, supported by four newly established provincial copyright service stations.
Dehua County rating and reporting local issues
What rating did Dehua County receive in the recent assessment?
In the first annual evaluation of the eighth national civilized city creation cycle, Dehua County earned an excellent rating.
How do residents report local issues such as blocked roads or environmental problems?
Residents can submit problems online through the “Dehua Civilization Signal Map Management Cloud Platform,” use the “snapshot” function, or report items directly via WeChat groups.
What cultural initiatives support the ceramic heritage in Dehua?
The county implements a dedicated kiln site protection plan, builds a network of ceramic museums, integrates the textbook “Ceramics” into school curricula, and maintains a ceramic copyright protection and trading exhibition center.
How will these ongoing digital governance and cultural integration projects alter daily life for residents in mountain counties over the coming years?