Tianjin's Hongqiao district is honored as the birthplace of the first government-run university in modern China and the city's first government primary and secondary school.

Not resting on its past cultural honors, the district keeps advancing with the times.

In 2018, Hongqiao was ranked first in Tianjin in terms of business environment, and second among the 266 national governmental halls included in a survey of governmental service and document procedures conducted by Sun Yat-sen University.

Given the efforts made by the region pertaining to the active integration and coordination of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei development, it comes as no surprise that it has enjoyed a 49 percent year-on-year increase of newly-settled companies, according to local authorities.

The local government has also sped up work on several key innovative projects in new-generational information and intelligent technology.

The district's modern industry structure is taking shape with promising fields thriving in the area and with leading big data, artificial intelligence, and international e-commerce companies settling down.

Traditional service sectors are transforming and upgrading to maintain momentum, and the night economy is booming.

The district has reaped the harvest from its efforts in streamlining administration and optimizing government services.

A number of Beijing enterprises were introduced to the area in the first half of this year to take advantage of the northern transportation hub of Tianjin West Railway Station and as a result of the shift of Beijing's non-capital functions.

By the end of the year, 150,000 residents will have better living environments as the district's planned housing renovation is going smoothly.

Education is another focus of the local government, which since 2012 has invested more than 2 billion yuan in gathering and renewing educational resources.

Activities are held on a regular basis to promote communication among all the 34 ethnic groups in the district, which has won national awards.