The vision of a drone delivering a chilled beverage to a visitor atop the Great Wall at Badaling is set to become an everyday reality in Beijing's Yanqing District by 2026. At the foot of the Great Wall, within this ecological conservation area, the Zhongguancun (Yanqing) Drone Industrial Park is emerging as a 'city in the sky.' It serves not only as the core engine for Beijing's low-altitude economy but also as a microcosm of China's drone industry taking off in earnest. This article explores the features that establish this 'flying industrial park' as a leader in the low-altitude economy sector.
A Landmark Industry Hub That 'Descended from the Sky'
Officially inaugurated on April 29, 2024, the Zhongguancun (Yanqing) Drone Industrial Park is designated as a key hub for Beijing's drone industry and a core platform for low-altitude technology. Developed under the leadership of the Zhongguancun Development Group, the park represents a total investment of 390 million yuan, covering a floor area of 44,600 square meters across four planned R&D and smart manufacturing buildings. Construction commenced on June 26, 2025. By April 2026, the main structure of the first building was completed ahead of schedule, with the entire project progressing steadily towards full completion by the end of 2026.
The park's design is tailored to the specific needs of drone R&D and manufacturing. It features a central cargo corridor with a maximum width of 2.4 meters to facilitate the transport of large equipment and products. Furthermore, two dedicated outdoor test flight areas, each measuring 26 by 48 meters, have been established in an adjacent city park to the west. This integrated 'test-fly-upon-exit' design is a pioneering concept among industrial parks in China.
The Irreplicable 'Yanqing Advantage'
The strategic choice of Yanqing is defined by the airspace above it. As one of China's first and Beijing's sole Civil Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Test Area, Yanqing boasts a dedicated 374-square-kilometer airspace centered around Badaling Airport, with a true altitude ceiling of 1,098 meters. This grants drone companies the ultimate convenience of 'flying right outside their door.'
The park also hosts the Beijing Low-Altitude Flight Service Center, which operates an integrated flight management and control platform. This center provides complimentary professional services to resident companies, including airspace filing and approval, real-time flight monitoring, and demand coordination. To date, it has facilitated over 9,700 flight operations totaling 29,000 hours. Companies can apply for a flight filing and, upon approval, conduct test flights on the same day. This comprehensive 'full-cycle service guarantee' system has cemented Yanqing's reputation as an 'ideal city' for drone enterprises nationwide.
From a Single Pioneer to a Thriving Industrial Chain
The benefits of supportive policies and superior airspace have rapidly translated into industrial clustering. By July 2025, Yanqing District had attracted 133 low-altitude technology companies, forming a complete industrial chain encompassing R&D, design, complete machine manufacturing, operational services, and counter-drone technology. In 2024, the output value of drone enterprises in the district reached 1.87 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 47.7%, with operating revenue hitting 2.44 billion yuan, up 50.2%.
Leading company Aerospace Times Feihong has been recognized as a 'unicorn' and is constructing a digital production base for intelligent unmanned systems here, with an investment exceeding 1.2 billion yuan, designed to meet batch production needs of 5,000 units/sets of unmanned system equipment annually. Yuandu Interconnection's medium-sized compound-wing drone has obtained a special airworthiness certificate, making it the first model in China to achieve this certification. Qinghang Equipment developed the world's first cross-coaxial rotor compound thrust tail rotor unmanned helicopter, which increases payload capacity by 30% and won the first prize of the Beijing Science and Technology Invention Award in 2023. Yanqing's drone industry ecosystem is rapidly evolving from isolated breakthroughs to integrated chain development.
The 'Application Laboratory' in the Sky
The park's ultimate value is demonstrated through diverse and practical application scenarios.
Logistics Delivery: In August 2024, Beijing's first regular drone delivery route commenced operations at the Badaling Great Wall. Tourists can place an order via a QR code and receive supplies 'flown' up from the base within five minutes, offering 'takeout freedom' on the Great Wall.
Forest Fire Prevention: Yanqing has established the city's first experimental base for intelligent drone applications in forest fire prevention, with drone patrols now covering all townships and streets.
Cultural Heritage Protection: At the Badaling Great Wall, drones operate along 18 automated patrol routes spanning over 20 kilometers, covering both open and closed sections, providing 'aerial guardianship.'
Low-Altitude Tourism: Leveraging Badaling Airport, Yanqing offers aerial sightseeing, skydiving, and flight experience programs, which attracted 17,000 participants in 2024, making low-altitude flight a new hotspot in service consumption.
Additionally, drones are playing significant roles in emergency response, ecological monitoring, and urban-rural governance, truly integrating 'low-altitude+' applications into the fabric of the city.
Industry Prosperity Relies on Talent
The vigorous development of any high-end manufacturing sector hinges on high-quality, skilled personnel. Against this industrial backdrop, the Beijing Yixiu Drone Maintenance and Training Base has chosen to establish itself in Yanqing. It is not only an integral part of the industrial park's ecosystem but also a vital 'talent incubator' precisely aligned with industry needs.
Yixiu understands that future drone engineers must possess practical, hands-on troubleshooting skills in real-world scenarios, not just theoretical knowledge. Its curriculum is entirely centered on hands-on training with actual aircraft, taught by instructors from the industry frontline who impart 'maintenance thinking' and practical experience not found in manuals.
Crucially, Yixiu maintains strong interaction with companies within the industrial park. Trainees gain exposure to the latest industry models and technological trends, and the talent cultivated is directly channeled into various sectors such as R&D, production, and operations, providing solid technical and skilled personnel support for the sustainable development of Yanqing's drone industry.
The Future is Here: The 'Yanqing Model' for the Low-Altitude Economy
From the settlement of the first drone company in 2018, to the approval as one of China's first Civil Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Test Areas in 2020, to the impending full completion of the industrial park in 2026—Yanqing's path in developing the low-altitude economy has been resolute and clear. It offers the most expansive skies for companies to test their ambitions and the most complete ecosystem to help the industry soar.
When drones become as ubiquitous as cars for intelligent transportation, people may recall that in northern Beijing, a '**low-altitude city**' was already prepared for this future. The sky is the territory of the future, and Yanqing is becoming the harbor from which this territory sets sail.
Zhongguancun (Yanqing) Drone Industrial Park · Key Data Snapshot
Total Investment: 390 million yuan
Total Floor Area: 44,600 square meters
Dedicated Airspace: 374 sq km, true altitude 1,098m
Resident Enterprises: 133 (as of July 2025)
2024 Output Value: 1.87 billion yuan (up 47.7% year-on-year)
Target for Full Completion: 2026
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