A letter from a local Fuzhou citizen once again sparked a round of heated debates about Fuzhou and its livability since it was listed as the most livable city in China on July 4.

In the letter to the mayor of Fuzhou, Yu Tian expressed his mixed feelings about the award given to Fuzhou and gave a free airing of his personal views about the urban construction.

He said he was glad to learn that Fuzhou was selected as the most livable city in China and the heated debates, both in person and on the Internet, were signs of affection of local citizens towards the city.

“In fact, the changes taking place in Fuzhou are obvious to the public. Environmental protection is a serious problem faced by the world as a whole. Over the past several years, Fuzhou has been working hard to rank the best in major Chinese cities in terms of air quality, green land and public health while maintaining a sustainable economy. It is really a tough job and we are proud of its achievements ,” Yu said in the letter.

Yu is correct in his points about the great social progress in Fuzhou. “As the economic boom continued, the city broadened its roads and opened its parks and comfort stations for free to the public. In addition, social security and health insurance have spread far and wide with more people benefiting from the systems. The livability has to be discovered on a closer examination of local lives .”

Some problems still linger, however, Yu said. Owners of cars are driving recklessly, which causes serious traffic congestion. Taxi drivers smoke when transporting passengers. Some residential communities boast large green lands, but one can still can see colorful trash bags flying in the trees.

It is all about civilization, said Yu. Whether a city is a happy place to live in depends more than the infrastructures. Its social ethics are a key factor in the appraisal, Yu said.

Yu showed his dissatisfaction with some invisible problems. When asked about the beauty of Fuzhou’s landscape and cultural heritage, some local officials choked on the reply. Since one has no better understanding of his/her city, how can he/she fall in love with the city? More to the point, the social identity fades away.

In the end, Yu advised Fuzhou to seize the moment and strive to build it into “the happiest city” and add touches of fortune to Fuzhou. Fuzhou’s name literally means Land of Fortune.

By Xu Xinlei