A historic industrial site in Shenyang's Heping District is breathing new life as its transformation nears completion, with local authorities announcing the 7212 Cultural & Creative Park will officially open to the public at the end of September. Once home to the Northeast Printing Factory, formerly known as the 7212 Factory of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the site carries an industrial legacy spanning more than eight decades, rooted in the revolutionary era.
Tracing its origins back to the Yan'an Eighth Route Army Printing House in 1938, the factory was born amid the flames of war, using the printed word to carry the revolutionary message. In 1946, the facility moved northward and settled in Shenyang, dedicating itself to military printing and leaving a deep imprint on the city's red industrial heritage. After years of service, the factory was transferred to Rongtong Group in 2020, marking the start of a new chapter focused on revitalizing its military-industrial legacy.
Aligned with Shenyang's broader strategy to revive its old industrial base, the project adheres to a principle of "restoring the old as it was while activating its use," deliberately avoiding large-scale demolition in favor of preserving the plant's unique industrial texture and military character. The initiative adopts an integrated approach of protection, activation, and operation, aiming to breathe contemporary vitality into heritage that has lain dormant for decades.
The special nature of the military assets presented significant hurdles, particularly for fire safety approvals across key components like the acoustic theater and wellness hotel, emerging as the biggest bottleneck for the project. To break through these obstacles, local government coordinated efforts across multiple departments—including fire prevention, housing and construction, and culture and tourism—establishing a dedicated task force that implemented tailored "case-by-case" solutions. In April 2026, the core approval procedures were successfully completed, clearing the way for the redevelopment to accelerate rapidly.
From May 2026 onward, the park aligned itself with the goal of integrated cultural and tourism development, efficiently completing a full commercial recruitment drive with a 100% leasing rate. Nearly 60 specialty merchants have moved in, ranging from an upscale industrial-style hotel filling a gap in local accommodation options to a 2,000-square-meter fitness center catering to residents' leisure needs, alongside themed restaurants and traditional brands like enamel inlay craftsmanship, where the hundred-year industrial heritage now pairs seamlessly with intangible cultural heritage, enhancing one another.
At its core, the park delves deep into the red cultural narrative, reorganizing spatial functions to include a museum dedicated to the history of red printing, a themed creative shopping district, and a leisure market in the west plaza. Together, these create an immersive cultural tourism environment combining red heritage studies, creative experiences, and leisure consumption, truly embodying the principle of "shaping tourism with culture and promoting culture through tourism." As a flagship project for revitalizing military industrial heritage in Shenyang, the park both preserves the essential memory of red military industry and meets the demands of urban renewal and consumption upgrades, effectively unlocking the value of dormant military properties while ensuring asset appreciation. Looking ahead, it will serve as a newly revitalized urban destination for inheriting the red spirit and reflecting on industrial history, cementing Shenyang's distinctive reputation for red culture tourism and industrial heritage revival.
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