The prefecture-level city of Quzhou in East China's Zhejiang province is further promoting its urban brand – as the "Home of Southern Confucianism · A Model City of Virtue" – during the process of mapping out its path to common prosperity, according to local media reports on Sept 26.

With the goal of building a "demonstration city of good faith", the city in recent years has integrated a culture of integrity into its urban brand – and the concept is said to have reached and resonated with its residents, the reports added.

Two mascots have featured in the branding exercise – cartoon images of Grandpa Confucius and Happy Deer – reportedly representing the urban brand of a "Home of Southern Confucianism · A Model City of Virtue".

They were included in the first list of provincial exemplary intellectual property – or IP items – in the fields of culture and tourism, as part of a broader effort to expand the integrated development of the sectors in Zhejiang province.

Additionally, since last August, during the COVID-19 pandemic period, the authorities in Quzhou have been promoting the use of public serving chopsticks and utensils to transfer food from a public plate to a guest's plate at restaurants.

The city is also understood to have raised its profile by establishing a scenic belt – the Virtuous Quzhou poetic and charming scenic belt – and drafting plans to set up a total of 100 future villages soon. Future villages are a concept, being pursued in China, to establish innovative residential clusters which adopt an eco-friendly and digitalized rural lifestyle.

Quzhou ranked 35th on a national list of the top 100 prefecture-level cities known for their comprehensive brand influence in the year 2020.