Photo taken on Feb. 20, 2024 shows a night view of the West Lake Park in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province.

On October 28, 2023, Fuzhou, historically known as Min, the capital city of Fujian Province in southeast China, won the first Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities, also known as the "Shanghai Award," at the opening ceremony of the 2023 World Cities Day China Observance. The United Nations Human Settlements Program grants this high-level award for sustainable development in cities, and Fuzhou stood out among the 54 declared cities from 16 countries all over the world, becoming "the only one in China."

Why was Fuzhou chosen?

The judging panel determined that Fuzhou "focuses on the sustainable development strategy of green economy and digital economy, implements innovative urban water system management projects, and constructs green, low-carbon, and eco-friendly 'city of thousands of gardens.'"