The century-old furnaces have fallen silent, yet Shougang Park is experiencing a different kind of vibrancy. At the recently concluded 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services, 942,000 visitors poured into this rejuvenated industrial zone. With blast furnaces as its backdrop and natural scenery as its stage, the park showcased to the world the transformation from an "industrial rust belt" to an "urban showcase."
Industrial heritage stands as one of the most profound cultural memories of any city. From the 798 Art District and the Beijing Satellite Manufacturing Factory Science Park to the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway Heritage Park, Beijing has increasingly integrated the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage into its urban renewal efforts. A host of dormant factories and old industrial zones have been awakened to tell city stories, energize industries, and enrich residents' daily lives.
Revitalized Spaces Preserve Memories of the Past
With blue-green waters and hills on one side and heavy industrial traces on the other, the circular corridor atop Building 3 of Shougang Park offers an unparalleled city skyline. From the stunning debut of the Big Air ski jump during the Beijing Winter Olympics to its current diversified development encompassing culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions, this historic industrial area consistently delivers fresh surprises.
Inside the towering No. 1 Blast Furnace, visitors can board the "Qitian" spaceship for an immersive interstellar journey through interactive experiences. The Zhongguancun Science Fiction Industry Innovation Center within the park serves as an industrial "incubator," gathering enterprises in fields like artificial intelligence and virtual reality. The beloved Yongding River Market has also recently undergone a comprehensive upgrade, with its waterfront commercial district brightening residents' lives.
Beijing's deep industrial foundation forms the backdrop of the city. As a crucial birthplace of modern Chinese industry and a cradle of New China's industrial development, the capital boasts a rich repository of industrial heritage, with 14 sites designated as national-level industrial heritage and 16 recognized at the municipal level. The adaptive reuse of these sites is gradually forming a pattern of "multi-point distribution, cluster development, and distinctive empowerment."
From factory grounds to parks, urban renewal has awakened the memories of bygone eras. The Beijing Satellite Manufacturing Factory in Haidian District, like the Shougang Shijingshan plant, holds national industrial heritage status. This is where China's first artificial satellite, "Dongfanghong-1," was born, witnessing the dedication and glory of countless aerospace workers. Today, it has been reborn through urban renewal, opening to the public as a science park that preserves its industrial character and aerospace identity while integrating modern commerce and creative vitality.
Within the updated park, red-brick factory buildings stand alongside towering poplar trees, with quaint cafés tucked around corners and lively astronaut sculptures dotting the roadside. Historical and cultural landmarks such as Dongfanghong Square, Yunxing Avenue, and Gongxun Avenue serve as constant reminders of the aerospace spirit of self-reliance, perseverance, teamwork, and innovation.
Industrial Reshaping Elevates Cultural and Tourism Experiences
How can industrial heritage be brought to life? There is no single answer. In the 798 Art District, the second Beijing Art and Technology Week recently kicked off. At Locomotive Square, a human-robot dance performance titled "Wandering and Empathy: Infinite Walking" captivated audiences. In the 751 Library, 15 university teams competed in the Zhihu Hackathon finals, showcasing creative AI works. At the Transmission Space, the traditional sound performance sharing session "Night Patrol" made its national debut to a packed house.
Having evolved over nearly three decades from an old electronics factory site, the 798 Art District continues to exude vibrant artistic energy. In the first half of this year alone, the district welcomed over 8 million domestic and international visitors and hosted nearly a thousand exhibitions and events. Silent industrial spaces have transformed into dynamic frontiers of culture, technology, and creativity.
"The protection and utilization of Beijing's industrial heritage, marked by the rise of the 798 Art District, has gradually gained national attention and accumulated valuable experience," said an official from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology. "Industrial heritage has shifted from idle urban space to cultural landmarks." The city has now fostered a positive trend of "effective protection, moderate revitalization, and urban benefit," with numerous representative projects emerging.
In the bustling Guomao area lies Langyuan Vintage, a hidden cultural and creative park. Formerly the Beijing Wandong Medical Equipment Factory, the site features factory buildings dating from the 1950s to the 1990s. The crowds at the Beijing Book Market, the lights of the Prism Drama Festival, and the melodies of the Music Life Festival converge here, with hundreds of cultural events held annually, nurturing creative seeds.
Langyuan Station in Dongba, meanwhile, has evolved from a Beijing textile warehouse into a cultural industry park. Red-brick factories, railway tracks, and platforms have been fully preserved, hosting a dense calendar of markets, art exhibitions, performances, and brand pop-ups. For Beijing, the cultural tourism value of industrial heritage is increasingly evident.
Data shows that in 2025, the city's industrial tourism attracted approximately 18 million visitors, generating nearly 2 billion yuan in related revenue—both figures achieving double-digit growth compared to 2024, far outpacing traditional sightseeing tourism.
Green Transformation Integrates into Daily Life
Industrial heritage is not a scar on the city but a rich repository of untapped potential. Rust has given way to greenery, railway tracks to greenways, and factory sites to parks—industrial heritage is weaving into the fabric of urban life in softer ways.
In August, the second phase of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway Heritage Park opened in full. A nine-kilometer green corridor stretches from Xizhimen to the North Fifth Ring Road, serving approximately 70 communities and 450,000 residents along its route, while connecting over 10 universities and 40 research institutions.
"Previously, a high wall completely separated our community from the railway, and under the bridge was piled with clutter—it looked messy and oppressive. Now the walls are gone, and just a few steps from home are green spaces and flower fields. We have a wonderful place for strolls," said Aunt Zhang from Dazhongsi Community, who visited the park with friends the moment it opened. The railway corridor that once divided the city has become a "green living room" at residents' doorsteps.
In the children's play area created from the railway embankment slopes, slides, climbing walls, and sandpits are all available, while shaded pavilions offer resting spots for elders—catering to both the young and the old. Continuous slow-traffic systems for cycling, jogging, and walking have been established, gradually realizing barrier-free cycling from the Three Hills and Five Gardens to the North Second Ring Road.
In Beijing's sub-center, a "green lung" tells another story of industrial heritage rebirth. "Every time I walk into the Urban Green Heart Forest Park, I recall what it used to look like," said Wei Guo, Party branch secretary and director of Beijing Beitou Ecological Environment Co., Ltd. "Back then, it was the Dongfang Chemical Plant, with towering installations, crisscrossing pipelines, and roaring workshops—carrying the industrial memories of a generation and witnessing the glorious development of the capital's industry." He recalled that when faced with the challenge of developing the site, the team thought not just about building a park, but about how to let the land "breathe" again, fostering harmony between ecology and humanity.
Today, the Urban Green Heart Forest Park is lush with vegetation and clear lakes, a true natural oxygen bar. More remarkably, the city's functional vitality is organically embedded within it. The Beijing Arts Center, Beijing City Library, and the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing—three major cultural facilities—seamlessly blend with the surrounding woodlands and lawns, allowing residents to enjoy cultural life amidst a grand and beautiful environment.
An increasing number of industrial heritage sites are becoming vibrant "backyard gardens." In Huairou Science City, the Jinyu Xingfa Cement Factory has been renovated into a science park housing top-tier institutions like the Yanqi Lake Applied Mathematics Research Institute. The roughly 107-hectare abandoned mining area has been transformed into a mine park featuring an ecological lake, cycling loops, fitness trails, and specialty theaters.
From spatial renewal to industrial reshaping, and from cultural tourism experiences to green transformation, industrial heritage is integrating into Beijing's cultural landscape in ways that are visible, accessible, and enduring. Step into one of these parks, and you read a chapter of the city's industrial history—within the ever-evolving footsteps of industrial heritage lies a Beijing that is both ancient and modern.
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