Taicang city, Jiangsu province, launched a project to detect problems with the city's infrastructure and utilities in late August 2016.

The so-called "woodpecker project" calls on every resident to find and report potholes, improving the safety and image of the city.

Residents are encouraged to raise problems and provide feedback on various fields, including public services and utilities, antisocial behaviour and illegal business activity.

Citizens can follow the WeChat account: taicang12345rexian to share their views, and feedback from the government will also be posted through this platform.

Around 100 citizen patrols will also be appointed to maintain regular supervision of the city.

The woodpecker is a kind of bird specializing in finding pests in wood, even when they are very difficult to find. This project aims to find and solve problems in Taicang, even when they are not always easy to spot.

The project will last till until the end of December 2017, and it is hoped that as many local residents as possible will participate.