Earthquakes frequently cause serious casualties and property loss in China. Building smart communities is an effective means of preventing damage and reducing disastrous outcomes from earthquakes. This article reports on the Chinese experience of building a smart community and the concept of smart service for preventing damage and mitigating disasters from earthquakes in Hubei province. The case study examined the Xinheyuan Smart Community, which is the first such community constructed in Hubei province, including its background development, system design and system functions. The disaster mitigation function was tested when a magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred in Yingcheng earthquake.