Opinion: A Viral Song and Internet Meme Unveil the Essence of Urban Governance
By Zheng Manling
At the Fifth Session of the 14th Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, recently held in Guangzhou, Sun Zhiyang, Mayor of Guangzhou, extended a warm invitation: "Welcome to Guangzhou to meet the 'Greater Bay Rooster' and listen to Jiahe Wanggang." This remark seamlessly blended online street culture and popular melodies into the formal governance context, sparking intense public discussion.
Jiahe Wanggang, a song that has racked up over one billion plays across the internet, encapsulates the youthful melancholy of countless people. As a key interchange station on three Guangzhou Metro lines, Jiahe Wanggang Station connects to the airport in the north and railway stations in the south, naturally bearing witness to countless partings and reunions. The song weaves metro station announcements into its melody, and its touching lyrics depict the joys and sorrows of the platform, transforming this transportation hub into a phenomenal emotional landmark. By embracing this viral internet meme, the mayor injected vitality and warmth into the solemn governance setting, making the city's image more tangible and relatable.
In recent times, Guangzhou's growing national and international popularity has been marked by a laid-back, down-to-earth charm. The mascot of the 15th National Games was affectionately dubbed the "Greater Bay Rooster" by netizens – a playful folk joke that saw an animal mislabeled. Far from rejecting this lighthearted humor, the local authorities turned it into a cultural and creative IP. Through merchandise and themed events, it achieved cross-sectoral communication, allowing the vibrant Lingnan culture to resonate deeply with the public. In the case of the "horse painters" at Dafu Mountain in Panyu, where citizens spontaneously created horse-shaped tracks during hikes, Guangzhou did not simply ban off-road trails. Instead, authorities swiftly conducted on-site surveys and launched official alternative routes, inviting the public to refine them together. This enabled folk creativity and governance wisdom to move in tandem.
From the mayor embracing internet memes to empowering cultural tourism, from tolerating folk creativity to providing targeted guidance, these seemingly effortless measures reflect Guangzhou's respect for the city's diverse vitality and its sincerity in engaging with the younger generation on an equal footing. The composure displayed in balancing strict regulation and flexible guidance stands as a prime example of the shift in urban governance philosophy – refraining from stifling folk creativity while upholding safety boundaries, replacing high-handed control with proactive guidance, and fostering positive interaction between the government and the public.
This open and flexible governance logic serves as a vivid model for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The image of the Greater Bay Area we aim to present to the world should extend far beyond the grand narrative of towering skyscrapers. It should also embody vivid, tangible cultural textures and urban warmth. Only when more cities in the Greater Bay Area uphold such inclusiveness and flexibility, allowing folk creativity to thrive freely and enabling targeted government empowerment, can the Greater Bay Area gather stronger regional vitality. It will then establish a unique identity that boasts both robust economic strength and profound humanistic warmth, becoming a vibrant region that lingers in people's hearts and draws endless yearning.
