With rich reserves in coal, crude oil and natural gas, Shaanxi has been accustomed to its natural resources fueling economic growth. As a result, its urbanization rate has been moving at a slower rate than the rest of the country. "Therefore we must transform our economic growth model and advance the urbanization process," said Wang Jun, Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Xixian New Area.

Wang thinks urbanization in the past was too taxing on the environment, cultivated land and the population: The environment was damaged, cities became excessively big, the acreage of cultivated land has been drastically reduced and a large number of young farmers have migrated to cities.

Such unbounded expansion of cities in China has also led to heavy management pressure.

"Urbanization does not mean cities seize and plunder the wealth of the countryside. The growth of cities should never come at the expense of rural areas," Wang said.

Therefore Xixian New Area, which lies between Xi'an and Xianyang, two of the province's most prosperous cities, emphasizes integrating urban characteristics with rural characteristics and realizing the perfect combination of urban functions and agriculture. It aims to become an ideal place where people can enjoy their pastoral life in the city.

Xixian New Area covers five new towns to be built, each with their own features. The area is designed to lead the economic development of inland China, a historical and cultural base that embodies the Qin (221-207B.C.) and Han (202B.C.-A.D.220) civilizations and is home to a cluster of emerging industries.

According to the master plan, the urban construction of Xixian New Area will be highly meshed with green space. The new area will feature urban, ecological, leisure and export-oriented agriculture and build Xi'an's agricultural base into an international metropolis of the future.

For a balanced urban and rural development, Xixian New Area will build 18 ecological farmland towns with 28 communities. In the meantime, public services like education and health care facilities will all be available.

According to the Xixian New Area master plan, villages will be transformed into towns that will guarantee farmers two things: a work force and land. "Farmland cities enable farmers to cultivate their land while living in cities, because farmland is nearby," said Wang.

The Xixian New Area also has plans to develop tourist infrastructure to draw in travelers who visit Xi'an, a top tourist draw in China. 

"In the farmland-city model, urban capital can enter the countryside, and intensified use of farmland can ensure that more land is put toward modern agriculture, which can guarantee supplies of farm produce and help protect the environment."