万水千山总是情

When steel forests glow: How China’s heavy infrastructure found new audiences_我的网站

A | 1月14日，国家发改委副主任连伟亮在接受中央电视台财经记者采访时表示，根据中央电视台官方微博，他已披露了今年中国重点投资方向。    

    An aerial view of Ningbo Petrochemical Economic and Technological Development Zone in East China's Zhejiang Province on August 19, 2026 Photo: Courtesy of Hu Xuejun
As night falls along China's East China Sea coast, rows of sprawling industrial facilities glow brightly under the dark sky. At Sinopec Ningbo Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Co., Ltd. (NZRCC) in East China's Zhejiang Province, a network of oil pipelines, towering distillation towers and neatly arranged oil storage tanks forms a futuristic "steel forest" outlined by lights and shadows.
On Chinese social media, this striking tableau has been embraced by younger generations as the essence of "cyberpunk-style hardcore romance." Amateur photographers and influencers have compiled detailed guides to the best viewing spots, complete with walking routes, camera angles, and even the optimal time to capture the scene, the so-called "blue hour," the period just before sunset.
Dozens of kilometers away, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port presents another stunning industrial scene. At this super port, which has ranked first globally in cargo throughput for 17 consecutive years, massive cargo ships anchor on the blue sea, stacked colorful shipping containers stretch along the shore, and giant quay cranes line up neatly. The dynamic interplay of mechanical operation lights and natural mountain and sea scenery creates a harmonious industrial beauty.
For years, heavy chemical plants and port infrastructure were associated in the public mind with noise, pollution, and a kind of forbidding remoteness - places to be avoided. Today, however, these industrial sites have transcended their purely functional roles, emerging as vivid windows through which ordinary people can observe China's new quality productive forces, and as a new narrative of coexistence between industry, ecology, and tourism.
    An aerial view of the industrial facilities of Sinopec Ningbo Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Co., Ltd. on August 19, 2026 Photo: Courtesy of Hu Xuejun
From avoidance to admiration
"In the past, when people thought of heavy chemicals, their first associations were pollution and safety risks - they instinctively wanted to stay away. Now, young people willingly come close, take photos, and share images of refinery towers at night. That makes us deeply proud," Zhang Da, deputy general manager of NZRCC, told the Global Times.
Zhang emphasized that the facility's newfound "cyberpunk appeal" is not a gimmick created by lighting. Tens of thousands of tourists have now visited the outer perimeter of the plant. "Visitors can intuitively experience fresh air, a tidy environment and steadily operating production equipment. These unalterable real feelings are the core reason why industrial scenery has become a new urban landmark," he said. Modern industry, once distant to the public, has become visible, tangible and approachable.
A similar shift in public perception is taking place at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. Netizens have spontaneously explored popular hiking trails on the mountains near the port. From elevated viewpoints, visitors can watch intelligent unmanned cranes operating with precise accuracy, alongside giant wind turbines spinning in the wind. Heavy industrial facilities blend seamlessly with lush mountains and clear waters, creating a perfect balance of motion and tranquility.
Chen Jia, a local resident, often comes to the coastline to overlook the port in his spare time and brings friends, including foreign visitors, to experience the scenery. "The efficient unmanned terminals, magnificent giant ships and harbor, and refreshing mountain-sea views have broken the cold stereotype of traditional industry. This is a unique romance made in China," he said.
    Foreign visitors take a group photo at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. Photo: Courtesy of Ningbo-Zhoushan PortFrom photo shooting to industrial understanding
What gives these industrial landscapes their staying power is not the rush of a thousand camera clicks, but their genuine industrial strength and the invitation they extend to the public: to look beyond the spectacle and start asking how it all works.
"Industrial sites can become scenic spots through long-term safety and environmental governance, as well as sophisticated modern industrial management," Zhang noted. "Young people's interest in industrial landscapes is a great starting point. More importantly, we attempt to turn this temporary online attention into long-term public recognition, letting real industrial sites serve as a window for the public to learn about modern industrial systems."
NZRCC first made this understanding tangible in an unexpected place: a 15,000-square-meter woodland at the heart of the complex, where egrets have made their home. When pipeline plans originally called for cutting through the area, the company rerouted them to protect the birds' habitat. During breeding seasons, all nearby construction is suspended.
Today, the "Egret Garden" is equipped with a 24-hour livestream that has attracted over 200 million views online.
Beyond ecological progress, the company strives to translate obscure industrial jargon into everyday language for the public.
Through open houses and social media outreach, the public has come to learn that this forest of steel towers has developed key materials for artificial lung technology, produced separator films for new-energy vehicle batteries, and turned waste cooking oil into sustainable aviation fuel that now powers commercial flights. 
What began as a casual appreciation of a nighttime spectacle has gradually deepened into a genuine understanding that this once-distant industry underpins much of daily life, from transportation and housing to health care and the transition to cleaner energy, making China's new quality productive forces more tangible and understandable, Zhang said.
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has likewise carved out a path toward meaningful public engagement. It has hosted a wide range of public exchanges and educational programs while carefully designing popular science exhibition halls and outdoor viewing sites to engage visitors.
"Since its founding, a port has always been about openness and connection," Zhuge Xurong, director of the Cultural News Center at Ningbo Zhoushan Port Company Limited, told the Global Times. That openness, he said, extends beyond shipping routes to the exchange of ideas and knowledge between the port and the public.
Such open industrial scenes have become common across Ningbo's industrial parks, with bilingual science popularization activities bringing modern factories closer to the public. Online content creators frequently visit these industrial bases, unveiling the mysteries of Chinese manufacturing to wider audiences.
The trend stretches nationwide: intelligent heavy trucks in Lingang new area of the Shanghai free trade zone, drone manufacturing bases in Shenzhen, rail-transport industrial parks in Chengdu. Meanwhile, older industrial sites are being transformed into cultural and creative parks, preserving their historical textures while injecting modern vitality.
From awe to intimacy, from distance to engagement - this distinctly Chinese brand of industrial romance is reaching more people, being better understood, and continuing to evolve. 
。国家发改委副主任连伟亮表示，将围绕“建设与改造”这两个关键词加大投资力度。建设包括五个方面：1。加强新基础设施建设，推进人工智能、工业互联网、物联网等建设，加快5G商用步伐；加强城乡基础设施建设，推进市政物流基础设施建设，加快5G商业基础设施建设。加强能源、交通、水利等重大基础设施建设；加强民生和公共服务能力建设，促进养老、卫生、教育投资；加强生态环境保护和自然灾害防治能力建设。“改造”是指增加制造业的技术改造和设备更新。另一个关键词是“转型”，连伟亮在接受采访时表示，“转型”是为了增加制造业的技术改造和设备更新。

B | 针对“促进国内消费升级”，连伟亮表示，政策措施主要包括三个方面：一是加强消费能力，重点落实社会保障和收入分配制度及相关改革措施，减轻居民负担，实施专项扣除。个人所得税政策，实施消费财政扶持措施；二是引导消费，重点增加优质生产。加快商品和服务供应，弥补人民急需的教育、养老、医疗、卫生、家政、育儿等方面的不足。三是优化消费环境，重点加强产品和服务质量监督，加强消费领域信用体系建设，大力营造安全放心的消费环境。

Current article:http://rw9k7.ruandaimingyunsun.sbs/news/20260826_3787056.html

Published on:22:20:34