Illustration: Xia Qing/GT Recently, my Brazilian friend Leo returned from a visit to China's Xiong'an New Area and texted me a single note: "I was amazed." As he wandered through what is widely known as China's "city of the future," the entire scene reminded him strongly of his home country's capital. "It feels like Brasilia in many ways," he told me. The wide, orderly avenues, the top-down master planning, and the sense of building an entirely new urban landscape from scratch all echoed the bold vision behind Brazil's capital. Brasilia, Brazil's planned capital developed in the late 1950s by Lúcio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer, and Joaquim Cardozo, was built from a national ambition to shift the political center inland from Rio de Janeiro. Brasilia's bold modernist architecture and innovative urban design earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987 and later recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Design. More than six decades on, Brasilia remains a living, evolving capital. Its continuous population growth demands thoughtful modernization, particularly in the constant upgrading of infrastructure, public services, and urban livability. Originally planned for roughly one million residents, the Brasilia metropolitan area now houses around three million people. This growth makes continuous investment in infrastructure essential, particularly in public transportation and, above all, the expansion of the metro system. It is against this backdrop that Leo sees some reference value in Xiong'an, especially in terms of smart urban planning, green development, intelligent infrastructure, and high-quality community services. In his eyes, the two cities share deep similarities. Both emerged from national moments of optimism and ambition, embodying their countries' confidence in shaping a better future. Both feature expansive artificial lakes that enhance beauty and integrate urban life with nature. I visited Xiong'an shortly after Leo's trip. Like him, I arrived prepared for monumental construction