By Zheng Yangyang, People’s Daily

Taiyuan, the capital of north China’s Shanxi province, is a nationally designated historical and cultural city and the birthplace of Jin culture and the spirit of Shanxi merchants. Nestled against mountains to the east, west, and north, and bisected from north to south by the Fenhe River, the city has long been celebrated as a “city of splendid beauty.”

Today, Taiyuan stands as a modern city with a thriving ecosystem, vibrant energy, and a seamless blend of ancient heritage and contemporary progress. It embodies the qualities of a livable, business-friendly, and tourist-welcoming destination.

The clear waters of the Fenhe River reflect a remarkable ecological transformation

A healthy natural environment has become one of Taiyuan’s defining hallmarks. For Andy Edgren, an American who has maintained a deep connection with the city for more than four decades, the transformation of the Fenhe River is especially striking. 

Once plagued by water shortages, shrinking ecological space, and pollution, the river now flows with clear water, lined by lush green banks. Its revival reflects not only improvements in Taiyuan’s environment but also signals a fundamental shift in the development philosophy and way of life of this historically industrial city.

“The city has changed so much. When my father and younger brother saw what the Fenhe River looks like today, they could hardly believe it!” Andy said.

Andy first came to Taiyuan with his father in the 1980s. Both worked as English teachers at Shanxi University and lived in the city for more than three years. Since then, he has returned to Taiyuan about 50 times, staying for several months on each visit.

As the second-largest tributary of the Yellow River and the mother river of Shanxi, the Fenhe River had fallen into dire straits by the end of the 20th century: flooding in the rainy season, near-dry conditions in the dry season, and polluted water at other times. To restore the river’s ecosystem and improve the urban living environment, Taiyuan has carried out comprehensive management of the Fenhe River for more than 20 years.

Today, the Taiyuan section of the Fenhe River features 12 cascade impoundment lakes and 6.67 million square meters of artificial wetlands. The river maintains a stable water surface of 11.5 square kilometers and remains clean year-round, with a storage capacity of 30 million cubic meters that helps reinforce its ecological defenses.

“One of my favorite things to do in Taiyuan is to take an evening walk along the Fenhe River with friends. When the lights on the buildings and bridges along the river come on, they keep changing colors, like a rainbow,” Andy said. “I like Taiyuan. It’s a very livable city.”

The spirit of Shanxi merchants fuels entrepreneurial vitality

Three years ago, Mexican entrepreneur Mauro Arturo Salazar Zavala, known locally as Maodou, settled in Taiyuan with his wife, Yang Miao. It marked the start of his connection with the city. As Taiyuan undergoes industrial transformation, expands cross-border e-commerce, and grows its digital economy, it is emerging as a new hub linking inland China with domestic and international markets.

During his research, Maodou discovered that Taiyuan has assembled suppliers and specialty goods from all over Shanxi. Iconic local offerings including mature Shanxi vinegar, millet and other coarse grains, and intangible cultural heritage handicrafts align closely with consumer tastes in Latin America, boasting unique advantages for export. This inspired him to reframe his entrepreneurial approach and pivot to exporting Shanxi’s distinctive products.

In his search for quality goods, Maodou also found a “key” to understanding Taiyuan and Shanxi — the spirit of Shanxi merchants.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911), Shanxi merchants set out from Taiyuan and expanded their markets through integrity, cooperation, and mutual support. They sold Shanxi products across China and overseas, building a vast commercial network that connected far-flung markets. Their legacy helped shape Taiyuan’s open, inclusive, and outward-looking character.

Since the beginning of this year, Taiyuan has established a specialized cross-border digital industry park and promoted the integrated development of cross-border e-commerce and local specialty industrial clusters. The city continues to improve its foreign trade ecosystem and attract new talent to the sector.

“I can see Taiyuan’s e-commerce and trade ecosystem is becoming ever more vibrant, with a rising number of practitioners. We exchange experiences, share resources, and support one another, just as the ancient Shanxi merchants did,” Maodou remarked.

Rich cultural heritage connects the city’s past and present

For Andy and Maodou, Taiyuan’s enduring appeal also lies in its rich cultural heritage. They have visited ancient buildings, museums, and historical neighborhoods, recording the city’s transformation through their cameras while showing overseas audiences a more diverse and multifaceted Taiyuan.

At the Taiyuan Northern Qi Dynasty Mural Museum — China’s first mural museum built at the original site of the murals — Maodou put on a virtual reality headset and immersed himself in the process of archaeological excavation and mural conservation.

“Modern technology allows visitors to gain a more direct and clearer understanding of burial murals,” he said. “Technology has not diminished the weight of history. Instead, it has made this ancient civilization more tangible and accessible.”

The museum is one example of Taiyuan’s broader efforts to protect and make innovative use of its cultural heritage. The city currently has 2,237 above-ground cultural heritage sites and 541 sites under protection at various levels. It is also home to 108 museums.

Strolling along Bell Tower Street, visitors can see historical buildings alongside modern businesses, while traditional lanes have embraced new forms of commerce, including restaurants, live performances, and cultural and creative products.

“Today’s Taiyuan has both an ancient history and a vibrant modern side. I’m particularly drawn to the way the city brings together quiet charm and youthful energy,” Maodou said.

A city renewed

The ecological renewal along the Fenhe River, new opportunities created by cross-border e-commerce, and the fresh vitality brought to ancient buildings and historical streets by cultural development — all these changes are giving Taiyuan a new look.

For more than four decades, Andy has returned to Taiyuan time and again, sharing the city’s story with foreign friends around him on each visit.

“I tell them they really should come to China and see Taiyuan for themselves,” he said.

By Shao Yuzi, People’s Daily

Xiong’an New Area in north China’s Hebei province is accelerating the development of its aerospace information and satellite internet industries. A growing industrial ecosystem now covers research and development, manufacturing, testing, launch, and in-orbit applications.

The latest milestone came on Aug. 19, when the Honghu-03 satellite, also known as Xiong’an-1, was successfully launched into orbit aboard a Zhuque-3 Y2 reusable rocket from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in Jiuquan, northwest China.

At the satellite intelligent operation and management center of Hongqing, China’s only fully integrated satellite constellation solution provider with full ecosystem capabilities, in the pilot production base of the Xiong’an Science and Technology Innovation Center, when telemetry signals from Xiong’an-1 appeared on a large display screen, staff members erupted in cheers.

As the first satellite developed and launched by Xiong’an New Area to enter orbit, Xiong’an-1 incorporates dozens of advanced technologies. Its successful launch marked the completion of a full-cycle industrial chain in the aerospace information and satellite internet sectors of Xiong’an New Area, spanning research and development and manufacturing to in-orbit applications.

Just a few years ago, aerospace information and satellite internet were still relatively new concepts in Xiong’an. In 2021, China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd. (China SatNet) was established there. In October 2024, the group officially relocated its headquarters to Xiong’an New Area. As a “chain leader” tasked with spearheading China’s development of aerospace information and satellite internet, the company has generated strong demonstration and spillover effects.

“China SatNet is here, so we came here too. Being closer to the chain leader helps us iterate our products faster,” said Chen Wei, chairman of CHIP LINKING INNO, a company focused on the R&D and production of high-end optoelectronic devices.

Chen spent more than a decade conducting research at the Institute of Semiconductors under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Sensing an opportunity in the emerging industry, he led a team to Xiong’an in 2023 to advance the R&D and production of key components for satellite laser communications, including lasers, amplifiers, and communication modules.

When Chen started his business in Xiong’an, the aerospace information and satellite internet industries were still in their infancy, with a relatively weak industrial foundation. What gave him confidence, however, were the new area’s clear and forward-looking industrial planning, supportive policies for talent and full-cycle services for businesses.

“Xiong’an connects innovation with industry. Companies across the upstream and downstream segments are gathering and developing here, and there will be even more platform resources in the future,” Chen said.

Today, CHIP LINKING INNO is far from the only company that has made its way to Xiong’an.

At the pilot production base of the Xiong’an Science and Technology Innovation Center, technicians at the satellite intelligent manufacturing workshop of Blue Arrow Hongqing (Xiong’an) Space Technology Co., Ltd. were testing a visual recognition system on an intelligent production line. Hongqing is currently applying AI and other emerging technologies to continuously improve production-line efficiency.

The development of industrial platforms is advancing in parallel. Equipment installation and commissioning have been completed at a shared satellite intelligent manufacturing center and shared satellite testing center in the second phase of the pilot production base. Nearby, construction is also moving ahead on a satellite super factory and a supporting base for the final assembly of commercial satellites.

“Once these industrial platforms become operational by the end of this year, Xiong’an will have the capacity to produce 300 satellites annually,” said an official with the industry, information technology, science and technology, and data bureau of Xiong’an New Area.

“Xiong’an New Area has made aerospace information and satellite internet the first industrial chain to receive priority deployment. We are creating favorable conditions, building platforms, opening up application scenarios, providing policy support, improving the business environment, and upgrading services to attract more companies and foster industrial clustering,” the official told People’s Daily.

“Our goal is to build Xiong’an into an important source of innovation for China’s commercial space industry and satellite internet sector, as well as a key supplier for the development of low-Earth-orbit constellations,” the official added.

Innovation resources are also rapidly gathering. Xiong’an is now home to 69 companies across the aerospace information industrial chain and nine innovation platforms.

As one of China’s pilot cities for the large-scale application of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Xiong’an is also making active use of aerospace information technologies to support urban development and accelerate the rollout of “BeiDou +” applications.

At a smart construction site in the start-up area of Xiong’an New Area, construction equipment such as road rollers and asphalt pavers are equipped with the BDS. They can automatically plan their routes and adjust their operating pace, with positioning accuracy controlled to within centimeters.

Baiyangdian Lake, the largest freshwater lake on the North China Plain, is another example. In Anxin county, all 24 rural tourism piers and more than 1,500 vessels have been equipped with dedicated BeiDou terminals. High-precision BeiDou positioning enables continuous monitoring of vessel movements and intelligent scheduling of water-based tourism services.

Today, “satellite internet + BeiDou” is being applied in a range of scenarios in Xiong’an, including underground spaces, smart construction sites, and the low-altitude economy.

And BeiDou is only one part of the picture. An increasing number of aerospace information technologies are being put to practical use in Xiong’an.

Recently, CHIP LINKING INNO’s research team joined forces with a payload company in the new area to explore ways of bringing laser communications “from the sky to the ground.”

Baiyangdian Lake is dotted with numerous scattered islands, making it difficult to lay fiber-optic cables between them. The team is therefore building laser communication links to replace fiber optics, with a transmission range of up to 10 kilometers.

“Satellite internet technology is bringing about a transformation from the sky to the ground,” Chen said.

Looking ahead, his team will continue to tackle key technologies for ultra-high-speed laser communications while exploring a wider range of applications, with the aim of bringing the benefits of satellite internet technology to households across the country.

By Qiu Chaoyi, People’s Daily

Chinese manufacturing continues to win over consumers worldwide. According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, overseas visitors spent 263.6 billion yuan ($39.28) in China from January to July this year, up 27.8 percent year on year. The number of overseas travelers who applied for departure tax refunds more than tripled over the same period.

Why has China maintained the world’s largest manufacturing value-added output for 16 consecutive years? An examination of several popular products offers insight into the logic behind building a stronger, more dynamic manufacturing sector.

Yiwu, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, known as the “world’s supermarket,” is neither on the border nor by the sea, yet local businesses have turned small commodities into big business. 

Recently, a “palm-sized hat” went viral overseas. It trended on social media in the morning, entered mass production in Yiwu by the afternoon, and quickly reached markets in Europe and the United States. 

Earlier this year, a “crying horse” toy unexpectedly became popular. Yiwu manufacturers ramped up production within 48 hours. By mid-year, they had already stocked up on blockbuster World Cup merchandise well before the tournament kicked off.

Yiwu has moved beyond its old model of passive OEM manufacturing. It now identifies market demand with “zero time lag” and connects it to production with virtually no barriers.

Rather than waiting for the next trend to emerge, it is increasingly helping drive consumer trends. The shift from “waiting for the wind” to “catching the wind” shows how a flexible market mindset can quickly turn emerging demand into business opportunities.

In May of this year, Chinese tech giant Huawei introduced its Tau Scaling Law, replacing “geometric scaling” with “time scaling” and successfully designing and mass-producing hundreds of chip models.

Similarly, Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD broke away from the conventional cylindrical and prismatic battery designs and developed its Blade Battery, addressing key safety challenges in power batteries through structural innovation. 

Chinese motorcycle manufacturer ZXMOTO took a different route to develop a three-cylinder, water-cooled engine, making a splash on the international racing circuit. 

What these examples demonstrate is not merely a shift in technological approaches, but a broader wisdom in industrial upgrading: by daring to break with convention and pursue new paths, seemingly insurmountable bottlenecks can become breakthroughs in independent innovation.

In recent years, new products have been brought to market in rapid succession, and new technologies have evolved at an accelerating pace. One important reason is that China has planned ahead, laying the groundwork and building capacity to weather changes.

Take AI, for example. The ultimate foundation of AI is electricity. Developing large AI models requires not only cutting-edge AI chips and advanced algorithms, but also abundant and reliable power infrastructure. Through sustained investment over the years, China has built the world’s largest ultra-long-distance power transmission network and a renewable energy system, giving it a distinctive energy advantage in the AI race.

From 5G networks and modern logistics needed to support advanced manufacturing to the cultivation of a large pool of highly skilled engineers and technicians, China has steadily invested in key foundations. These efforts have built a comprehensive, multilayered industrial structure covering all major sectors and strengthened the resilience of the manufacturing sector, enabling it to withstand pressure and adapt to changing conditions.

China has grown its manufacturing sector into a global powerhouse not through beggar-thy-neighbor policies or zero-sum competition, but through openness, cooperation, and mutual benefit.

Recently, the realistic film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has been a hit, with one line from the movie — “Don’t forget to eat well” — touching the hearts of many foreign viewers. The simple words convey a value that cherishes peace and development, as well as mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. This is closely aligned with the underlying logic of Chinese manufacturing.

As Chinese manufacturing goes global, it is bringing with it an ever-growing list of opportunities.

In Africa, the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has built up industries spanning new energy and home appliances, generating jobs for over 10,000 people. 

In Southeast Asia, China’s textile sector has forged deep integration with industrial chains of Malaysia and other nations, forming a cooperative model: “China supplies raw materials, ASEAN manufactures finished garments, and the world opens up markets.”

In Latin America, multiple Chinese automakers have set up plants in Brazil, boosting local industrialization via capital investment and homegrown talent development.

All this highlights the flexibility, strong execution and openness of Chinese manufacturing. As profound changes unseen in a century accelerate and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation gains momentum, Chinese manufacturing, by staying dynamic and adapting to changes, will be full of vitality and go on to achieve even greater successes.