A view of Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: nbfb0574]

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang unveiled a three-year plan to build itself into a model city among national civilized cities.

In November 2020, the city was conferred with the title of national civilized city for the sixth consecutive time. The title, granted every three years, is the highest honor that a Chinese city can achieve as it has strict standards for a variety of indicators, including the city's social development, economy, infrastructure, public services and living standards.

The plan comes as part of local authorities' efforts to stand out among the title recipients.

According to the plan, the city will continuously improve its urban governance level and strive to be one of the cleanest cities in the nation, with some areas allowing people to sit on the ground.

Efforts will also be made to reduce the usage of plastics and improve the upgrading of commercial blocks, grocery stores, and public toilets.

Official statistics show that 473 public toilets from Ningbo have been equipped with barrier-free facilities, with more than 450 providing free toilet paper.

In addition, local residents will be mobilized to take part in the city's construction. For instance, they will be encouraged to refurnish their homes or residential communities using art.

This year, 100 volunteer service stations are expected to be built in populous areas across the city, offering in-time services for people in need. Statistics show that Ningbo is now home to 4,000 volunteer service organizations with 2.14 million registered volunteers.

A volunteer service station in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: nbfb0574]