A number of enterprises and startups have begun setting up shop in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou province, because of the region's innovative policies and affordable living costs.
"Compared with the big metropolises of China, living costs in Guiyang is lower, which will ease the financial burden for startups," said Li Xi, 32, a company owner who moved from Shenzhen to Guiyang two years ago. Guiyang is an ideal city to start a career and its favorable government policies is beneficial for companies to attract investment and recruit talent."
While China's major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen are the top choices for young talents to start their careers, a growing number of young people have started moving to the nation's western regions.
The Xin San Xian cafe, established in Guiyang two years ago, is the first startup incubator in the city and was inspired by Garage Cafe, an active incubator for innovators in Beijing.
Xin San Xian was founded by Liu Ding, who worked in the Zhongguancun high-tech hub of Beijing, and three partners from Guiyang.
"There is a close relationship between the development of a region and the local entrepreneurial culture. The cafe is a place to connect people and exchange ideas," said Liu.
The cafe is open to all and there are electrical outlets, a Wi-Fi connection, and basic office equipment, such as printers and copiers.
For innovators who have no resources to begin a product or establish a startup, the Guiyang government has issued a number of policies to support them, such as offering free offices and apartments.
Chen Gang, Party chief of Guiyang, said the government will continue to provide new policies for innovative companies.
"We plan to keep it this way, to attract more young talents to realize their dreams here," he said.
zhaokai@chinadaily.com.cn
