New sci-tech park a symbol of capital's green transition

BEIJING — Bart Vlaar, a Dutch mathematician, is eagerly anticipating the arrival in September of his family, who will live with him in a modern sci-tech park, built on a former cement plant on the outskirts of Beijing.

Vlaar and his colleagues in the Yanqi Lake Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications moved into the park in May and were immediately attracted by the work environment, which features a blend of gardens and a renaissance of the area's industrial heritage.

"I think it is very interesting and remarkable to transform a place with so many 'industrial relics' into modern office space," he said.

The preservation of the industrial heritage, which is rooted in quarry mining for cement production, is accompanied by the protection of its intangible heritage.

Yu Dewang, who worked for the cement factory previously, is now a security manager at the sci-tech park.

The mining area has been transformed into a green space. The former workshops and warehouses have been repurposed and now house modern offices and apartment buildings.

"The factory was filled with hustle and bustle, churning out cement products day and night. Fully loaded trucks never stopped plying the road until it was closed in 2015," said Yu.

He said the cement plant in Beijing's outlying district of Huairou was a major supplier to many landmark projects in the national capital, which includes Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 2 and the National Stadium, also known as the "Birds' Nest".

"However, the high output was achieved at the cost of pollution and ecological deterioration," said the 53-year-old, who refused to leave after the factory was shut down in 2015 along with a number of other industrial polluters in Beijing.

In 2017, Huairou district launched a strategy to develop into Beijing's sci-tech base. This scheme includes kicking off a large-scale ecological restoration project that encompasses the site of the cement plant located north of Yanqi Lake.

"We are inviting research institutions and high-tech companies to move in to develop the park into a center of international exchanges on science and technology," said Zou Ming, general manager of Beijing Jinyu Xingfa Technology Co Ltd, which is in charge of the management of the sci-tech park.

Similar stories of transformation have been going on amid Beijing's green development campaign. A former quarry mine has been built into a popular tourist resort in Beijing's Fangshan district.

"There was only one willow tree left when the mine was active, but now, the valley is blanketed with natural greenery," said Wang Zhenhua, general manager of the former Caojiafang quarry. The current Bairuigu resort opened in 2019.

Nestled in the shade of tall trees, the location of the former entrance of the mining pit has been adorned with sculptures. Additionally, a nearby building where miners changed shifts is now used as an exhibition hall to tell the story of its mining history. Further into the resort, there are amusement sites such as a dinosaur world, a rafting experience program and an animal feeding park.

Tuesday coincided with China's first National Ecology Day. The country's top legislature on June 28 voted to designate Aug 15 as National Ecology Day, aiming to enhance public awareness and encourage actions to protect the ecological environment.

Xinhua