Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, had a GDP of 1.17 trillion yuan ($170.3 billion) in 2016, a 10 percent increase from 2015. The growth rate places Hangzhou second nationally, tied with Anhui province's Hefei, in terms of speed of GDP growth, according to data provided by National Bureau of Statistics.

The three factors catalyzing this ascent have been the development of Internet Plus, the provincial capital's transformation into a pioneering smart city, and the continued growth of its tourism industry.

The name Jack Ma is practically synonymous with the city and while it would be inaccurate to exaggerate the business magnate's role in the city's impressive GDP growth, Alibaba has certainly acted as a trailblazer in Hangzhou creating a strong entrepreneurial culture in which ordinary people feel empowered and eager to strive for their dreams.

This environment has been very conducive in attracting talent in the fields of finance and technology with the municipal government playing a supportive role and allowing many high-tech companies, such as Hikvision Digital Technology Co Ltd., Dahua Technology Co Ltd., and DBAPP Security Co Ltd., to blossom.

One area of the city exemplifying this growth is Hangzhou High-tech Zone (HHTZ) in Binjiang district. Since becoming a state-level development zone in 1991, the area has gathered 18 incubators of high-tech enterprises, over 800 startup companies founded by overseas returnees, and more than 4,800 high-level experts. The zone has become an important cog in running of the city's thriving information sector.

The high-tech conscious nature of the city has filtered down to the everyday lives of Hangzhou citizens. Indicative of this change is the proliferation of retailers and services accepting digital mobile payment via Alipay or WeChat pay. According to Ant Financial, as of August 2016 more than 22,000 restaurants, 95 percent of supermarkets and convenience stores, and 98 percent of taxis accepted such forms of payment.

Crucially, the local government has fused smart polices with an inclusive attitude that openly welcomes people from all over China to move to the city.

Outside of the technology sector, Hangzhou's public bicycle rental system is considered pioneering by many with BBC's travel channel labeling it the best in the world. Furthermore, the government is developing an intelligent garbage system that uses QR codes and has also created a smart platform for waste disposal.

A tourist buys food using Alipay, the mobile payment service of Ant Financial. [Photo/China Daily]