Liaoyuan aims high-quality development

Liaoyuan, a traditional coal-mining city in Jilin province, is paving the way for high-quality development by leveraging new energy, tourism and sports industries.

In 1911, Chen Decai, a farmer from Xi'an county in Liaoyuan, discovered coal, marking the beginning of more than 110 years of coal-mining history. At its peak, the city's coal production accounted for 1/29th of the national total.

In recent years, Liaoyuan has diversified its economy with significant achievements across multiple sectors, including metallurgy, building materials, hosiery and textiles, agricultural product processing, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, equipment manufacturing, and emerging industries such as new energy and cultural tourism.

Shen Desheng, Party secretary of Liaoyuan, said that, following the guidance of the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the fifth plenary session of the 12th CPC Jilin Provincial Committee, the city is committed to building distinctive industrial clusters, strengthening emerging industries and driving economic transformation toward high-quality development.

"New energy is a pillar industry for the future of Liaoyuan," he said.

The city boasts abundant natural resources, including wind, sunlight, water and biomass. Effective wind resources reach 2,860 hours yearly, sunshine lasts 2,507 hours, urban water resources exceed 400 million cubic meters, and the surrounding area produces over 10 million metric tons of straw annually. These advantages provide a solid foundation for the development of the new energy sector, according to local authorities.

As part of its transformation, Liaoyuan Mining Industry (Group) Co is shifting from coal supply to green electricity production. At its peak, the company produced 13.13 million tons of coal year-round, contributing 80 percent of the city's industrial economy.

Currently, Liaoyuan Mining has completed a 67,500-kilowatt photovoltaic power generation project and launched a new 300,000-kilowatt wind power project this year.

"Last year, we supported Liaoyuan Mining in expanding a 3.99-square-kilometer distribution area in the high-tech zone, which now provides wind and solar energy for the new energy vehicle industrial park," Shen explained.

China Tianying Inc., an international company engaged in zero-carbon clean energy, smart urban environmental services and resource recycling, has invested 28.6 billion yuan ($3.93 billion) in Liaoyuan. The company is developing wind power and hydrogen production through water electrolysis.

Liaoyuan is also tapping into its coal-mining history to develop cultural tourism. The city has transformed its unique coal mining subsidence areas and ecological resources, such as the headwaters of the Dongliao River, into attractions like Natu amusement park, Liaoyuan Zoo and Botanical Garden, and a traditional Chinese herbs museum.

"Next year, we plan to construct Heijin Future City, an industrial theme park, the second phase of the botanical and zoological garden, and the second phase of the Flower Sea," Shen said. "Our goal is to create a tourism brand offering year-round experiences."

Flower Sea is a major attraction spread across an area of 32,000 square meters in the city.

Last year, the Tianlu Mountain Ski Resort opened in urban areas, welcoming 87,000 visitors during the snow season.

This winter, the city will host an ice and snow sculpture exhibition, a camping festival, an ice lantern festival, and a youth skiing challenge to turn "cold" resources into a "hot "economy, Shen said.

Liaoyuan is home to the largest sika deer protection area and artificial breeding base in China, with 280,000 purebred sika deer.

The city is also the country's largest cotton sock production base, with 40,000 sock machines producing 3.5 billion pairs annually.

chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn