Finding home

For those who come for work, the next question is always the same — whether Xiong'an can become a home.

Lyu Zhentao's answer came quickly.

The 48-year-old arrived in early 2024 as an employee of a State-owned enterprise that relocated to the new area. Within three months, his wife quit her job in Beijing and joined him.

"She saw the city was new, the environment was good, and the development prospects were very promising,"Lyu said.

In Beijing, they rented an 80-sq-m apartment in Daxing district near the subway for over 5,000 yuan a month. In Xiong'an, they live in a 120-sq-m home and pay 2,000 yuan per month.

"For our family, the pressure has been greatly reduced. Besides, our daily commute time is also short now," Lyu said, explaining his daily travel time has been reduced from over two hours to 15 minutes.

His wife found work with another SOE based in the new area. Their 22-year-old son is now looking for employment in Xiong'an while preparing for postgraduate entrance exams.

"For years, I never really felt settled," said Lyu, whose hometown is in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and who described himself as a beipiao (Beijing drifter) for over 10 years. "But here, things are different. The overall work and life atmosphere is positive. Slowly, you start to feel like you belong."

Lyu now has more time to relax with family and colleagues. "We like playing badminton in the area's newly opened sports center," he said, adding he is looking to buy a residence in Xiong'an. "I plan to stay. This is home now," he said resolutely.

Xiong'an's housing system is designed to make settling easy. Relocated employees like Lyu can access green channels to buy a home.

"What you see is what you get, and the property certificate will be issued upon delivery," said Zhang Hongda, a staff member at the Xiong'an Housing Management Center.

Xiong'an also has a tiered approach to rental housing that caters to different needs. Eight product types have been developed, from apartments for young people and talented people, to blue collar units and family-friendly communities.

"Renters have the same rights as homeowners when it comes to schooling for their children," said Tian Zhuang, another employee at the center. So far, 7,200 renters have enrolled their children in local schools under this policy.