Slow Gaochun
15 December 2010
In the Eastern China, in the Jangsu Province, there is the first Chinese Slow City: the small village of Yaxi in Gaochun County, with a population of 20,000 inhabitants.

The project “Slow City” was created in Italy in 1999 thanks to Paolo Saturnini’s efforts (he was the Mayor of Greve, a small city in the centre of Italy that year) and then developed by other Italian mayors throughout Italy. Slow City is a successful spin-off of Slow Food projects. Many cities all around the world are included in this initiative, and now is the turn of the Chinese Village of Yaxi.

The philosophy of the project is to apply the Slow Food approach to the local community and to the local government. The seasonal rhythm is valued together with the human dimension of the town: inhabitants are part of the community and of the city, and thus the human prospective and its health must also be respected.

At the same time, attention must be given to natural and typical products and also to local trade, products and to typical cooking and local food. Traditions in terms of cooking, handicrafts but also in terms of buildings and landscape have to be maintained. All these values are fostered in order to respect the history of the city and its inhabitants, and also with the aim of reaching the tranquility of a peaceful life."
 

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