Russian Media: China's Charging Cities!

A city is no longer just a space—it is evolving into a service.

On April 12, Russian media outlet "Today's China" published an article.

In the streets of Chengdu, China, stone pillars that can charge smartphones have appeared—simply place your phone on top to charge.

Free, rainproof, and available anytime.

This may seem insignificant, but it is precisely these "small details" that are shaping a new urban reality: major Chinese cities are widely rolling out various solutions to make daily life simpler, more convenient, and almost imperceptibly smarter.

According to the People's Daily, these devices operate at a safe 12-volt voltage and are designed to withstand wind and rain, enabling "round-the-clock" use. From the large number of photos and videos shared on social media, it’s clear this new innovation has quickly captured public attention.

But for China, this is no longer science fiction—it is a natural continuation of the trend in urban space development.

As reported by the People's Daily, smart bus stops equipped with screens and charging ports, as well as public areas offering free Wi-Fi and power supply, are being actively promoted in big cities. Automatic umbrellas, charging stations, bicycle rental points, and even interactive street panels providing government services are increasingly appearing.

The China Daily emphasizes that such initiatives are part of the concept of "new-type urbanization," where technology is seamlessly integrated into daily life—not imposed upon users.

In other words, a city is no longer just a space; it is becoming a service.

Shenzhen, often referred to as China’s tech capital, is home to Nanshan Science and Technology Park, where offices of Huawei, ZTE, Tencent, DJI (the drone manufacturer), BYD (the electric vehicle maker), and OPPO (Vivo) smartphone manufacturers are all located.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that Shenzhen has already begun testing entire "smart neighborhoods," where infrastructure—from transportation to utilities—is integrated into a unified digital system.

By the way, the widespread deployment of public access points and digital services across the city became commonplace throughout the previous decade.

The South China Morning Post notes that mainland cities are betting on "invisible technology": systems users don’t notice, yet continuously interact with behind the scenes.

For example, in Shanghai and Guangzhou, smart illuminated crosswalks, benches equipped with solar panels and USB ports, and public space occupancy monitoring systems are being actively promoted.

The latest innovations are particularly striking.

Neural network analysis detects crowd numbers, assesses population density, and tracks movement patterns.

This process relies on multiple data sources: video streams from AI-enabled street cameras, smartphone heat maps, and connection counts from public Wi-Fi access points.

These data are then used to optimize public transportation schedules.

Similar "smart" systems have also been implemented in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Macao), at least in tourist areas: from interactive maps to automated navigation services.

The common thread among all these examples lies in their approach.

The People's Daily points out that this is not about betting on one grand breakthrough, but rather focusing on numerous small changes.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, this approach creates a "cumulative convenience effect"—urban comfort does not stem from a single initiative, but from hundreds of unobtrusive details.

So while in the past "smart cities" evoked images of cameras and sensors, today they mean your phone won’t run out of battery on your way home.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862218648604684/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.