At the dawn of the People's Republic of China, the nation's total steel output was a mere 158,000 tons, and even items like nails had to be imported. From that starting point, China embarked on a relay spanning over 70 years. Generation after generation, driven by an indomitable spirit, has utilized consecutive Five-Year Plans to build China into the world's second-largest economy and the top manufacturing nation, carving out the China we see today.
From the first leg to the fifteenth, from having virtually nothing to reshaping the nation's landscape, let's review and look ahead at some of the major projects from the 1st to the 15th Five-Year Plan periods.
**1st Five-Year Plan (1953-1957)** The three major projects of Anshan Iron and Steel Company—the large-scale rolling mill, seamless steel tube plant, and No. 7 blast furnace—were completed. Jingwei Textile Machinery Manufacturing Plant commenced operations. The Qinghai-Tibet Highway and the Sichuan-Tibet Highway were officially opened to traffic. Zhanjiang Port officially opened. Shenyang Aircraft Factory and the state-owned Beijing Electron Tube Plant were completed and began operations. The Changchun First Automobile Works was built. Yumen Oilfield was developed. The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge was constructed.
**2nd Five-Year Plan (1958-1962)** Beijing Capital Airport became operational. The Great Hall of the People and other key "Ten Great Buildings" in the capital were completed. The Daqing Oilfield was discovered. The First Tractor Manufacturing Plant in Luoyang, Henan, was completed and began production. The first 10,000-ton class ocean-going freighter, the *Dongfeng* (East Wind), was launched. The first short-range surface-to-surface missile, *Dongfeng-1*, was successfully launched. The Xin'anjiang Hydropower Station and the Sanmenxia Water Control Project were built.
**3rd Five-Year Plan (1966-1970)** China's first hydrogen bomb test was successful. The Haï-1 well in the Bohai Oilfield began producing oil. The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge opened to traffic. China successfully conducted its first underground nuclear test. The first urban subway line in China, the initial phase of the Beijing Underground Railway, was officially opened. The first artificial earth satellite, *Dong Fang Hong 1* (The East Is Red 1), was successfully launched.
**4th Five-Year Plan (1971-1975)** China's first domestically developed missile destroyer, the *Jinan*, entered service. The Shengli Oilfield was completed. China's first domestically developed nuclear-powered submarine, the *Changzheng 1* (Long March 1), was commissioned into the navy. The Daqing-Qinhuangdao oil pipeline was completed. The Liujiaxia Hydropower Station commenced operations. The Baoji-Chengdu railway was fully electrified.
**5th Five-Year Plan (1976-1980)** China's first 100,000-ton class modern deep-water oil port, Dalian New Port, was completed. The "Three-North" Shelterbelt Program was initiated. Construction began on the Shanghai Baoshan Iron & Steel General Plant. China's first indigenously designed and manufactured large passenger jet, the Y-10, made a successful test flight.
**6th Five-Year Plan (1981-1985)** The shortwave time service system began official broadcasts. China's first Antarctic research station, the Great Wall Station, was established on King George Island, Antarctica. The Yanzhou-Shijiusuo Railway was fully delivered for use.
**7th Five-Year Plan (1986-1990)** China's domestic satellite communication network was established. The country's first heavy-haul railway, the Daqin Railway, opened to traffic. The Gezhouba Dam project was fully completed. China's first high-energy accelerator, the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider, achieved successful collision. The Longyangxia Hydropower Station, the largest on the Yellow River, was completed.
**8th Five-Year Plan (1991-1995)** The Nanpu Bridge officially opened to traffic. The Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant was connected to the grid. The Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant was completed and began commercial operation. The Water Diversion Project from Datong River to Qinwangchuan was completed and began water delivery. The Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway opened to traffic.
**9th Five-Year Plan (1996-2000)** Beijing West Railway Station commenced operations. The Beijing-Kowloon Railway opened to traffic. The Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway was completed and opened. The Nanning-Kunming Railway began operation. The Jiangyin Yangtze River Highway Bridge was completed and opened. The first unmanned experimental spacecraft, Shenzhou-1, was successfully launched. The West-East Electricity Transfer Project was fully launched.
**10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005)** The Xi'an-Ankang Railway opened to traffic. The main structures of the Xiaolangdi Multipurpose Dam Project were completed. The Shenzhou-5 manned spacecraft was successfully launched and returned safely. The first generating units of the Three Gorges Project began operation. China's first Arctic research station, the Yellow River Station, was established. The West-East Natural Gas Pipeline Project began commercial operation. The first phase of the Yangshan Deep-Water Port was completed and opened.
**11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010)** The Qinghai-Tibet Railway section from Xining to Lhasa was fully completed and opened. Construction began on the world's first ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, the Yunnan-Guangdong ±800 kV UHVDC demonstration project. The J-10 fighter jet entered service. China's first lunar orbiter, Chang'e-1, was successfully launched. The Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway began operation. China's domestically developed KJ-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft made its debut. The Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway began operation.
**12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015)** The Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway opened along its entire route. China's first aircraft carrier, the *Liaoning*, was officially delivered to the navy. The first generating units of the Xiangjiaba Hydropower Station began operation. The Beijing-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway opened along its full length. The West-East Gas Pipeline Line 2 was fully completed and operational. The eastern route of the South-North Water Transfer Project officially began water delivery. The Chang'e-3 probe soft-landed on the moon. Construction began on the global first pilot project of China's indigenous third-generation nuclear power technology, Hualong One.
**13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020)** The Sunway TaihuLight supercomputing system became operational. China's domestically developed quantum science satellite, Mozi, was successfully launched. The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), known as the "China Sky Eye," was completed and commissioned. The J-20 stealth fighter jet made its first public appearance. Cumulative gas supply from the Fuling Shale Gas Field exceeded 10 billion cubic meters. The first domestically built aircraft carrier, the *Shandong*, was launched. The Fuxing Hao standard electric multiple unit trains began operation on the Beijing-Tianjin intercity line. China's self-developed large amphibious aircraft, the "Kunlong" AG600, made its successful maiden flight. The fourth phase of the Yangshan Deep-Water Port passed final acceptance. The Beijing Daxing International Airport became operational. The Haoji Railway opened to traffic. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge opened. Construction began on the Ya'an-Nyingchi section of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway.
**14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025)** The core module of the China Space Station, Tianhe, was successfully launched. Construction began on the Yangtze-to-Han River Water Diversion Project, part of the central route of the South-North Water Transfer Project. All generating units of the Baihetan Hydropower Station were operational. The C919 large passenger aircraft completed its commercial maiden flight. The first domestically built large cruise ship, the *Adora Magic City*, was delivered. The world's first Generation IV nuclear power plant at the Shidaowan site began commercial operation. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link officially opened to traffic. The Chang'e-6 mission achieved the first-ever sample return from the far side of the moon. Construction began on hydropower projects on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. China's first domestically built electromagnetic aircraft catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, the *Fujian*, was officially commissioned into the navy.
**15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030)** Planned key projects include major hydropower and integrated water-wind-solar energy bases, new energy bases in desert and Gobi areas, offshore wind power bases, energy-saving and carbon reduction initiatives in key industrial sectors, the "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" high-speed railway network backbone, the National Highway Network, artificial intelligence, satellite internet, controllable nuclear fusion, high-end new materials, integrated circuits, expansion and quality improvement of basic education, public health capacity building, quality and efficiency enhancement of elderly care institutions, care for vulnerable children and left-behind children, and grain reserve systems.
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