The Communist Youth League Municipal Committee awarded a plaque to a "Youth-Friendly Space"
Young people learn yoga movements in the "Youth Night School"
The winter vacation care program solves the childcare difficulties faced by young employees
Incorporate the construction of youth-oriented cities into the top-level design of the 15th Five-Year Plan, include it in government work reports for four consecutive years and incorporate it into the legislative plan of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress, so as to fully integrate youth work into the overall work of the Party and government. Collaborate with various departments to introduce and implement 236 landmark and inclusive youth-friendly policies, including the Lanzhou College Students Retention Multiplication Plan and 19 Policies on Employment and Entrepreneurship for College Graduates in Lanzhou City, further improving the full-life-cycle policy system supporting youth development...
Building a youth-oriented development city is not only an in-depth dialogue on the symbiosis and shared prosperity between young people and cities, but also a two-way practical endeavor to encourage young people to take root in cities and enable cities to fuel youthful growth. In recent years, Lanzhou has always anchored the core philosophy of prioritizing youth development, adhered to regular advancement and long-term construction, integrated youth development into the entire process of urban growth, continuously improved the policy system and optimized the development environment, and empowered young people and the city to resonate at the same frequency and grow side by side.
ple's paths to pursue their dreams
"I used to worry that I couldn't find a suitable job in Lanzhou and that relevant policies lacked guarantees. I never expected that this job fair organized by the Communist Youth League Municipal Committee would not only help me secure my ideal offer, but also clearly explain long-term policies such as subsidies for talents staying in Lanzhou and talent stations, making me feel extremely reassured," said Ding Yuan, a postgraduate student set to graduate this June. Holding the newly signed employment intention letter at the Yuzhong University Joint Job Fair themed "Gather Talents in Xinglong, Await Your Arrival" held at the Heping Campus of Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics, she could hardly hide her joy.
Over a year ago, Ding Yuan was still torn between pursuing a career in a first-tier city or staying in Lanzhou. "I worried there would be few job openings in my hometown, that my major would go to waste, and most of all, that supportive policies would only be short-lived." The job fair co-hosted by the Communist Youth League Municipal Committee and Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics eased all her concerns. A total of 96 enterprises at the event offered 1,804 positions covering fields such as biomedicine, equipment manufacturing, and modern services. Staff members from the Communist Youth League Municipal Committee simultaneously introduced regular policies including the plan to increase the number of college graduates staying and working in Lanzhou, grassroots employment subsidies, youth talent stations, and interest-subsidized entrepreneurship loans, providing one-on-one answers to all questions from university students about employment in Lanzhou.
Youth employment and entrepreneurship have always been a long-term strategy for urban development. Lanzhou has consistently regarded this work as a core task in the regular construction of a youth-friendly city. Instead of adopting phased campaigns, the city adheres to sustained, year-round and long-term efforts, launches a comprehensive set of supportive policies, and precisely stimulates new vitality in youth employment and entrepreneurship.
In terms of maintaining employment and expanding job opportunities, Lanzhou City has focused on the needs of key industrial chains and established a regularized job discovery mechanism. The Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security, in collaboration with various units and universities throughout the city, has continuously organized online and offline recruitment events such as “Spring Campaign” and “The Yellow River Shoreline is Also Beautiful” featuring live broadcasts and job placements. According to statistics, a total of 820 types of recruitment events were held by 2025, resulting in 76,800 agreements with potential employers, ensuring continuous and regular employment services throughout the year, including for young individuals. Additionally, while maintaining the size of policy-based positions in government and public institutions, efforts have been made to encourage research institutions and technology-based enterprises to expand their internship programs, intensify recruitment of employment internships, and expand opportunities for graduates to gain practical experience and employment. For university graduates who have taken part in the “Ten Thousand Project” and have gone to work in grassroots areas, a monthly living allowance of 1,500 yuan is provided for three years.
In terms of entrepreneurship empowerment, Lanzhou has established a long-term support system for youth entrepreneurship, thoroughly implemented the "Hundred-Thousand-Million" Entrepreneurship Leadership Project, and continuously optimized the full-cycle entrepreneurship cultivation system covering entrepreneurship training camps, expert guidance and resource docking. College graduates who start businesses on their own can apply for entrepreneurship guaranteed loans of up to 500,000 yuan and enjoy a 50% financial discount on interest, providing comprehensive support throughout the entrepreneurial journey and long-term guarantees for business development.
In terms of supporting services, Lanzhou has established 25 service stations for college students' employment and entrepreneurship, providing comprehensive employment services for no less than 100,000 college graduates every year on average. It has offered subsidized vocational skills training to 42,300 young people, built 24 high-skilled talent training bases and 113 master craftsman studios, and promoted the "modern apprenticeship system" and "order-based training programs", fostering a total of 11,700 young engineers and high-skilled talents. Meanwhile, incentives for recruiting college graduates, work-related rewards and various subsidies have been granted to private enterprises and college students' employment and entrepreneurship service stations, making every effort to promote high-quality and full employment for young people.
Build Warm Harbors for Young People with Secure Housing Support
“The youth talent station is like timely rain. Free accommodation has eased my financial pressure while job hunting in Lanzhou, and this reassuring policy has made me more willing to settle and develop here." When talking about youth housing support policies in Lanzhou, Zhang Yunmei, a post-2000s college student who is preparing for interviews with several local enterprises, spoke with deep emotion. At the beginning of this year, she came to Lanzhou from Tianshui to seek employment. After submitting an online application, she successfully checked into the Youth Talent Station at Lanzhou People's Hotel. With 7 days of free accommodation and one-stop employment policy guidance, she took a solid first step toward building her career in Lanzhou.
It is learned that in areas with concentrated universities and near transportation hubs, Lanzhou has continuously optimized 37 youth talent stations. Based on different academic backgrounds, these stations provide college graduates seeking jobs in Lanzhou with free accommodation for up to 15 days all year round. Up to now, a total of 1,258 young people have been offered free lodging for 5,681 nights, ensuring permanent and reliable accommodation support for young job seekers coming to Lanzhou.
Coincidentally, Yao Yifan, a young staff member working at the Lanzhou Urban Renewal Promotion Center, has also benefited from the city's housing security policies. A graduate of Nanjing University, Yao Yifan faced her first challenge of finding accommodation after settling in Lanzhou through the talent introduction program. "The youth talent apartments launched in Lanzhou have solved this problem for me," Yao Yifan said. The apartments are fully furnished with complete furniture and home appliances, ready for immediate move-in, and come with rent reductions and exemptions. "The complete supporting facilities and convenient transportation of the community have provided me with a stable living space, making me feel that choosing to come to Lanzhou was absolutely worthwhile."
According to statistics, Lanzhou has currently completed and put into operation 8 talent apartment projects with a total of 1,379 units, providing housing security for various talents. In terms of public rental housing security, starting from October 2025, newly employed college graduates will be included in the coverage of housing security. By adopting a combined model of physical housing allocation and rental subsidies, the city has effectively resolved housing concerns for 240 young people pursuing development in Lanzhou. Meanwhile, 505 public rental housing units have been allocated in a targeted manner to institutions with a high concentration of talents and newly employed college graduates, realizing the precise distribution of security resources. In addition, 1,766 operational affordable rental housing units across the city are mainly supplied to new residents and young people, with college students accounting for 50% of all tenants.
To help more young people settle down, live securely and put down roots, Lanzhou City took the lead across the province in launching a housing voucher subsidy policy starting from October 2024. Full-time doctoral graduates and full-time master’s graduates from Double First-Class universities who work full-time in local enterprises in Lanzhou or start their own businesses in the city can receive housing voucher subsidies of 300,000 yuan and 100,000 yuan respectively when purchasing a house in Lanzhou. Additionally, college graduates within three years of graduation who buy their first new commercial housing unit in the first half of this year are eligible for a maximum subsidy of 30,000 yuan.
From temporary accommodation for young migrant job seekers, transitional housing for employed young people, to housing purchase subsidies for young talents, Lanzhou has built a full-chain housing security system featuring "short-term free accommodation + transitional rental housing + long-term residential guarantee". Targeting the housing needs of young people at different stages, this system enables every young person who comes to and stays in Lanzhou to find their own peaceful home and feel the warmth and sincerity of the city.
Improve Youth Living Security with People-Oriented Details
The core of building a youth-oriented development city is to endow young people with a warmer life and stronger support for growth. Focusing on young people's all-scenario needs covering clothing, food, housing, transportation, marriage and childbearing, cultural and social interaction, as well as rights protection, Lanzhou City has continuously remedied shortcomings, optimized services and improved efficiency. With persistent efforts, it is fostering a full-cycle and all-round youth-friendly urban ecosystem.
"In recent years, youth services in Lanzhou have become increasingly diverse and heartwarming. We can truly feel this long-term and sincere dedication," said Gao Lei, a post-90s young woman, as she picked up her child after work at the winter vacation public care class in Xigu Middle Road Community, Xigu District.
Gao Lei is an employee of an enterprise in Lanzhou. She has long been troubled by after-school childcare for her child and the heavy pressure of parenting. In recent years, Lanzhou has continuously advanced the development of youth-friendly services and optimized inclusive childcare services such as the "4:30 After-school Class" and vacation care classes, completely relieving the worries of young parents like Gao Lei. "These services are not just established and then neglected; instead, they operate all year round on an ongoing basis, truly putting our needs first."
Beyond childcare services, young people of all ages and occupations in Lanzhou can access comprehensive and heartwarming services.
Chen Haiyan, a post-95s media practitioner, has a strong desire to explore life and is keen on learning various skills in her daily life. Over the past two years, she has been following information about youth night schools and various activities released from time to time by Communist Youth League organizations at all levels across the city. "Especially in 2025, I learned basic yoga poses and hand drum movements at the youth night school, and got started with egg carving and paper-cutting techniques. These experiences have not only enriched my spare time but also helped me make more like-minded friends," said Chen Haiyan. The continuous development of youth cultural scenes in Lanzhou has provided long-term support for young people's spiritual and cultural life.
In terms of improving the quality of life, Lanzhou focuses on building youth-friendly scenarios. Relying on the Hundred-Mile Yellow River Scenic Belt, it has constructed 15 youth-friendly venues including youth fitness trails and the Olympic Sports Center, and created 52 youth-friendly scenarios such as youth-themed gardens, vibrant blocks and youth-friendly communities, enabling young people to develop comfortably and pursue their dreams with warmth in Lanzhou. It has also held multiple events such as the Young City Experience Officers' Leisure Tours of Lanzhou and themed lectures on youth-oriented city development, boosting emotional interaction and mutual progress between young people and the city.
In terms of rights protection and growth empowerment, a long-term service mechanism has been established for youth dating and socializing, legal aid and psychological counseling. The Lanzhou Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Alliance has been set up. Various regular activities are continuously held, including youth skills training, innovation and entrepreneurship competitions, enterprise job exploration programs for young students, and government-enterprise exchange meetings for young entrepreneurs. These efforts have built a comprehensive support network covering the entire growth journey of young people.(Report and Photos by Tang Rui)