Boston Route 128 is dubbed as the American high-tech highway and the new Silicon Valley on the East Coast of the USA. Yuehai Street in China's Shenzhen is well known for its 112 listed companies, most of which are high-tech enterprises. However, as for the density of listed companies, a street in Hangzhou is as compelling as it is unique in Zhejiang Province, if not in China.

The 1,791 meters long Wulianwang Street in Hangzhou Binjiang District High-Tech Zone houses 13 listed companies valuing as much as 900 billion yuan and making it the most valuable street in the city-- over half a billion for every meter. It is safe to say, each single step on this street by an adult male is valued over 130 million yuan.

Developed from a farmland

Wulianwang Street has been developed since 2010, the first year of the era of Internet of Things (IoT), when the concept was written into the government report by the State Council as a new information industry. Two years later Hangzhou High-Tech Zone (Binjiang) was entitled as the National IoT Industry Demonstration Base.

In 2013, the 1,791-meter long and 26-meter wide inconspicuous path between Jiangling Road and Fengqing Road was named as Wulianwang Street. One year later, the provincial government initiated the construction of IoT Industrial Park. In 2015, four villages of Xixing Town were moved away and torn down to spare the space. Now, there stands the HIKVISION Mansion. In 2020, the average income in Wulianwang Town had grown from the previous 4000 yuan per mu (0.16 acres) to as much as 188 million yuan.

A street productivity surpassing that of a town

The Hangzhou High-Tech Zone (Binjiang) has housed 63 listed companies ranking the first in Zhejiang Province, 20% of which are on Wulianwang Street, the central road across the town. Among others, Hangzhou Lianluo Interactive Information Technology Co., Ltd., Newegg, Silergy Corp. Confidential, Hangzhou CNCR-IT Co., Ltd., DBAPP Security Co., Ltd, Hangzhou HIKVISION Digital Technology Co ., Ltd., Joyware Electronics Co., Ltd., Heren Health, AdTime, Vobile Group Limited, Focused Photonics(Hangzhou), Inc., Hangzhou Freely Communication Co., Ltd., and Geely Holding Group, are the ones widely known.

The number of the listed companies on this single street equals to that in quite a few districts in Hangzhou,exceeding that in some cities in the province. Although this number does not mean the comprehensive strength by itself, it does stand for the development level of an area, and is commonly regarded as a credible index indicating the vitality and potential of a city.

From an ugly duckling to a swan

Geely Holding Group was the first enterprise settled in Wulianwang Street when it started business in 2002. The Geely Mansion along the river is still a distinctive landmark. After 8 years of being alone on the street, Geely welcomed its first neighbor -- HIKVISION Digital Technology Co., Ltd.

Wulianwang Street rose to its fame from an inconspicuous path to an extinguishing street in 2016 when the town was entitled as one of the featured towns in Zhejiang Province. The street has seen more high-tech enterprises since then.

At present, Wulianwang Street has been the center of the Hangzhou High-Tech Zone (Binjiang), with metro lines 1 and 6 going across it connecting Jiangnan Avenue in the north and Fenqing Avenue in the east. A hospital, two schools, several communities, and a few shopping malls are all within walking distance.