From Wuzhen to Lishui: WIC global youth leaders explore digital innovation

Following the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit, youth leaders from the 2026 WIC Global Youth Leadership Program traveled to Lishui, Zhejiang province, for an immersive study tour. Visiting villages, cultural districts, and local specialty industries, they explored innovative applications of digital and intelligent technologies in ecological conservation, cultural heritage preservation, and rural vitalization. Through field visits and exchanges, they gained new perspectives and explored pathways toward more inclusive development in the digital era.

During the visit, Zhou Heping, vice-mayor of Lishui, met with the youth leaders. He described Lishui as a mountainous city with a strong ecological foundation that is actively exploring digital transformation. He expressed hope for closer cooperation with global youth leaders through research and practical initiatives to explore new opportunities in the digital and intelligent era.

The participants visited Guyan Huaxiang, Chenjiapu village, Songyang Old Street, and Damu Mountain Tea Garden. They saw how the emerging trend of digital nomadism is integrating with local arts and cultural initiatives, how traditional villages are being preserved and put to new uses while new rural businesses are being developed, and how digital and intelligent technologies are supporting specialty agriculture and local industries.

These real-world examples demonstrate how digital innovation can extend beyond cutting-edge technologies and become integrated into industries and everyday life, creating new momentum for regional development.

Youth leaders from the 2026 WIC Global Youth Leadership Program take part in a study tour in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Youth leaders from the 2026 WIC Global Youth Leadership Program take part in a study tour in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Youth leaders from the 2026 WIC Global Youth Leadership Program take part in a study tour in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

At the end of the tour, participants said the experience had deepened their understanding of how digital and intelligent technologies can contribute to economic and social development. It also provided valuable opportunities for cross-sector and cross-cultural exchange and cooperation, they said. From digital technologies supporting rural vitalization to innovation helping preserve cultural heritage, Lishui's experience offered them fresh perspectives on the role of technology in regional development, they added.

The WIC Global Youth Leadership Program will continue to serve as an international platform for exchange and cooperation, bringing together young innovators from around the world and supporting more extensive dialogue, experience-sharing, and collaboration in the digital era. Through these efforts, the program aims to enable more young people to play a part in building an open and inclusive digital future that benefits all.