From a large landfill to a digital innovation valley

SHENZHEN — At the foot of Yinhu Mountain in Luohu district, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, a vast green canopy covers 116,900 square meters of worksite where excavators and bulldozers operate at full capacity. Recently, workers were busy covering leveled areas with anti-seepage film to prevent rainwater from trickling in.

This is the former Yulong landfill, once Shenzhen's largest dumping ground, now undergoing the nation's largest full-excavation relocation project, according to Rao Yiming, Party chief of Qingshuihe subdistrict.

Established in 1983 and closed in 1997, the landfill was sealed in 2005, accumulating 2.55 million cubic meters of waste. For two decades, it remained dormant, a testament to the city's rapid development and a growing concern for residents.

Located near the city center, the massive waste pile had long been an urban eyesore, plaguing nearby communities with odor, leachate, groundwater pollution and geological risks.

As Shenzhen grapples with scarce land resources in its urban core, addressing historical environmental issues while creating new development space has become critical.

In 2024, Luohu designated the site's rehabilitation as its "top project", investing 2.17 billion yuan ($305.6 million) in what has become one of China's most challenging environmental remediation efforts.

"The restoration process is a high-tech battle," said Ye Bin, deputy director of Luohu's urban management bureau. "We've implemented the largest 'canopy' system in China to control odor and dust, while using rapid aerobic pretreatment technology to accelerate waste stabilization."

At the site equipped with sound barriers, trucks transport different categories of waste to screening facilities, environmental parks and recycling enterprises. The project handles 6,000 cubic meters of excavation daily, with a screening capacity of 5,000 metric tons.

Ye explained that waste mainly includes construction debris, household garbage, building waste, sludge and contaminated soil. After testing, qualified materials are transported for reuse or proper disposal.

The restoration isn't the final goal but a new beginning. Even as remediation continues, planning has already started for the area's future development.

Rao revealed that the restored site will release approximately 300,000 square meters of land for industries, positioned as a "digital innovation valley". It will focus on artificial intelligence, health technologies, and the digital economy, aligned with Shenzhen's strategic emerging industries.

"Yulong's transformation demonstrates Shenzhen's shift from expansion-dependent development to unlocking potential within existing resources," said Xie Zhikui, vice-president of Shenzhen's Party school. "This contiguous industrial space supports Luohu's upgrade and Shenzhen's development strategy."

Xinhua