The first open recruitment for positions in Xiongan New Area in North China's Hebei province has attracted thousands of applicants, making the area a hot destination for senior talent.

Twenty-three positions received 4,123 applications, equivalent to around 179 for each post, according to the area's official WeChat account.

However, the proportion was much smaller than that for the national civil service examination, which is one of the fiercest competitions for jobs in the nation.