The tour of Hangzhou was quite revealing and enriching. As I noted in the first part of this experience, we had 12 lectures. But it wasn’t just lectures. Beyond sitting in classrooms and listening to erudite instructors and professors, we had field visits. Each visit revealed something new, something unique, and sometimes what appeared to be an opening to a vista of opportunities. We had 12 field visits, and each was eye-opening. But some left particularly lasting impressions on us. One of them was our visit to the Jiufeng Waste Incineration Plant in Nanfeng Village, Yuhang District, Hangzhou. It was eye-opening. We saw waste utilisation, high-standard environmental protection treatment and smart operations working together in a way that was almost surreal. We watched in awe. The plant is regarded as a global benchmark for addressing what is commonly called the “NIMBY” problem—Not In My Backyard. Rather than hide a waste facility away from the public, the plant has been designed partly as a tourist attraction and education centre, complete with a 3D cinema, a viewing corridor and even a café overlooking the furnace. We also learnt that its emission standards are publicly displayed and are designed to surpass stringent European Union requirements. But two things stood out for me: the smart operations and the philosophy of turning waste into resources. This is how the system works. The bottom ash—the leftover grit from the combustion process—is processed into eco-bricks and road-base materials for construction. Fly ash is stabilised with chelating agents and safely disposed of or utilised in cement production. Heat generated from incineration is converted into electricity, powering tens of thousands of homes, while excess steam is piped to nearby factories for industrial use. Essentially, only a small fraction of inert residue ends up in landfill. It is a circular