Whether in the past or the future, the urban area of Yuzhong District is self-evidently—a 'center' that says it all.
Looking at Chongqing's urban development, outward expansion has extended new space and driven the prosperity of the northern and western districts. Yet Yuzhong, the 'mother' of Chongqing, seems somewhat left behind.
The towering skyscrapers rising in Yuzhong highlight the city's prosperity, bathed in the brilliant neon lights of the night, and reflected on the shimmering water along with the struggles and unease of this 'mother city' in its development:
Facing other districts 'overtaking on the curve,' how can the mother city's glory be continued?
This is a question Yuzhong must face. At the heart of this city, a revival movement concerning the city is brewing, and the answers to these questions seem to be found here. A revival originating in the city's core
The term 'revival' is familiar; the Renaissance that recovered ancient Greek and Roman civilization stirred many artistic dreams.
It can be said that the Renaissance sought spiritual freedom and inspiration. 'Urban revival,' on the other hand, seeks the foundation and focus for spiritual development from past history, proposes new elements and creative materials, and creates modern urban life with roots in the new era.
Looking at history, we can compare with reality.
In the mid-20th century, the population of central urban areas in the UK gradually moved to the suburbs. Facing the lack of vitality in city centers, in 1999 the UK government first proposed the urban revival plan 'bringing the elite back to the center' in its urban planning white paper.
The UK government stated: 'To achieve urban revival is not just about numbers and proportions, but about creating the high-quality and enduringly vibrant urban life that people expect.'—Such an urban life concept still has considerable practical significance for Chongqing today.
 The rivers meet here, and the city began here. Yuzhong embodies the essence of Chongqing.
This is where Chongqing's party and government institutions are concentrated—politics;
Here are the two major hundred-billion commercial districts of Jiefangbei and Daping; 'shopping at Jiefangbei' became the earliest 'fashion enlightenment' for Chongqing people; here are also over 100 Fortune Global 500 companies, providing the impetus for Chongqing's economic takeoff—economy;
Here are also a large number of first-class museums and key cultural relic protection units; cultural and tourism landmarks such as the Great Hall of the People, Guotai Art Center, and Huguang Guild Hall—culture.
For Chongqing's 'mother city' Yuzhong, creating a geographical coordinate in the architectural sense is not difficult; more importantly, she needs to represent the landmark symbol of Chongqing as a central city, and even directly touch the city's future. Realistic difficulties: the mother city's glory urgently needs inheritance
What is the center of a city?
It is not just in the architectural sense, but more in the spiritual aspect of the city; it represents the city's economic strength, history and culture, and modern lifestyle.
History and reality overlap, mountains and rivers shine with humanity. This is where Chongqing's resources gather, the spiritual homeland of Chongqing people—the 'mother city' Yuzhong.
Looking back at history, during the War of Resistance, three thousand prominent figures in culture, politics, and business poured into Chongqing; many celebrities and iron-willed patriots gathered in the mother city Yuzhong. Dai Li, Song Qingling, Zhang Zhizhong, Feng Yuxiang... these historical figures all lived in Yuzhong District, leaving behind silhouettes that influenced the course of history.
The former residence of Zhou Enlai (Zhou Mansion) at Zengjiayan, Dai Li's former residence on Zhongshan 4th Road, Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling's former residence (Yaolu), Zhang Zhizhong's mansion (Guiyuan)... to this day, these historical residences remain the historical wealth of the mother city Yuzhong.
Historical celebrities had their reasons for living here: this is the core of Chongqing, where political and economic resources are most concentrated. At the same time, it is also a concentrated expression of mountain and water resources.
History is always inherited. Now, Yuzhong District gathers over 100 Fortune Global 500 enterprises; executives and professional managers from around the world are active here, becoming influential factors in Chongqing's economy.
However, the real problem is that the executives living here are few and far between.
The reason is simple: as Chongqing's 'mother city,' Yuzhong was developed earliest and is now basically saturated, with limited land supply. Correspondingly, there are few properties for sale in Yuzhong District. According to statistics from Phoenix Real Estate Chongqing Channel, there are currently about a dozen residential, apartment, and office projects for sale in Yuzhong, compared to about 80 projects for sale and pending in Yubei District.
Facing the saturated and aging Yuzhong District, most government and corporate executives have to choose the more quality-oriented northern district.
The mother city Yuzhong looks forward to a residential 'revival.' Looking at past and present, controlling the future
The Yangtze and Jialing rivers nurtured Chongqing's early prosperity and witnessed its historical changes. Afterwards, it took another 100 years to 'build' the initial framework of Chongqing as a modern international metropolis.
The 'mother city' Yuzhong, embraced by the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, undoubtedly with its core location and rich historical context, is once again awakened with the vitality of the era in the torrent of past and future.
With this, the 'mother city' Yuzhong is inspiring more and more city builders, from CapitaLand's Raffles City to Eling... The 'revivers' of the 'mother city' seek inspiration from prosperous history and create the future.
The same is true for Emerald City—seeking resources from thousands of years of accumulation, then polishing these resources into products capable of reviving the mother city. Therefore, Emerald City has two levels of significance.
First, history, resources, the historical context and resource accumulation of the 'mother city.'
The scenery of rivers and mountains is fully visible here, close to rich school resources such as Bashu Middle School, Renhe Street Primary School, and Renmin Primary School, and adjacent to historical and geographical areas such as Zhongshan 4th Road, Huguang Guild Hall, and Chaotianmen.
Second, the future, the product, the unique living experience created by Emerald City using the mother city's unique resources, different from the present.
Different histories and accumulations should be endowed with different values and civilizations. What Vanke does is respect the value and culture of the land itself, fully tap the project's regional context and natural gifts, understand the land, respect the land, and let the land regain its due temperament and sentiment.
In this context, Vanke has placed its top-tier Emerald series in the Yuzhong Huanghuayuan project, using Vanke's internal S-level construction standards—
Vanke's intention is clear: a riverside masterpiece to revive the residential value of the Yuzhong Peninsula. For the future mother city, it is not about being old and cramped.
Living here, one can see the bustling traffic of the mother city, the rolling eastward flow of the Yangtze, the intersection of the peninsula and Jiangbei skylines, and many of Chongqing's urban landmarks within reach.
For Chongqing, many people often maintain a psychological viewing distance, but Emerald City brings people so close to and possessing this mother city. When the neon lights of the night illuminate Chongqing's prosperity, when the city's landscape is fully in view, everything becomes small and insignificant; only the thought-provoking excitement brought by this scene and this moment truly strikes the hearts of residents.
Living here makes one a participant and witness of the revival of the Yuzhong Peninsula.