Linfen aims to be a natl transformation model

Linfen city in Shanxi province is actively cultivating new quality productive forces and promoting high-quality development through strategic emerging industries.

"The city is vigorously developing the digital economy, low-altitude economy and micro-short drama economy," Li Yunfeng, Party secretary of Linfen and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, told China Daily during the ongoing two sessions.

A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, with breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing and quantum communication.

"New quality productive forces have become the core driving force for high-quality development," Li said. "In recent years, Linfen has focused on cultivating new quality productive forces as a main direction, promoting the accelerated development of strategic emerging industries and future industries."

In 2025, Linfen's digital economy revenue reached 18.25 billion yuan ($2.65 billion), up 62.8 percent year-on-year, ranking first in the province.

Its low-altitude economy is also developing rapidly. Class A service stations and eight major flight bases have been established, while 23 supporting enterprises have settled in, serving various scenarios more than 3,000 times.

In the micro-short drama industry, 87 film and television production companies have established themselves, producing 273 short dramas.

"In 2026, Linfen aims to attract more than 50 leading micro-short drama enterprises and produce more than 500 micro-short dramas," Li said. "An action plan will be introduced to empower other industries, create new scenarios, foster new business formats and drive new consumption."

Located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River in Shanxi, Linfen is a typical resource-based city that once faced dual challenges of heavy dependence on natural resources and ecological pressure.

Over the past decade, the city has consistently prioritized ecological and environmental protection, Li said.

Since the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, Linfen has cumulatively shut down 9.15 million metric tons of coking capacity and 220,000 tons of crude steel capacity.

Across seven provincial-level industrial parks in the city, 143 enterprises have basically completed clean transportation transformation.

In addition, Linfen's 10 steel companies, seven coking companies and 16 cement companies have completed ultra-low emission transformation.

"Linfen is advancing comprehensive treatment of air, water and soil pollution, with ecological environment quality continuously improving," Li said.

In 2025, Linfen saw its average density of PM2.5 particulate matter fall to 35.1 micrograms per cubic meter, with the air quality improvement rate ranking first in the country.

Linfen, named for its location on the banks of the Fenhe River, is an important birthplace of Chinese civilization.

The city gained wider attention after the release of the Chinese-developed video game Black Myth: Wukong in 2024, which features several scenes related to ancient Buddhist culture and Taoism.

Attractions such as the full-hall hanging sculptures at Xiaoxitian Temple and Guangsheng Temple have become popular with tourists.

"We launched the 'Homecoming' service brand with the slogan: 'Every travel is a departure, but you arrive home in Linfen,'" Li said. "Conveniences such as free tourist shuttle buses and parking spaces have been arranged."

"Linfen will continue cultivating cultural tourism as a pillar industry and promote deeper integration of culture and tourism by organizing sports events, launching boutique performances and releasing food directories," he said.

He added that the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period holds an important position as a period of succession and transition and is a key period for Linfen to seize opportunities and accelerate development.

"Linfen aims to become a model city for national transformation and comprehensive reform, and by 2030 to basically achieve the transformation and development of a resource-based economy," he said.

It is also a critical period for comprehensively advancing the construction of a beautiful China.

"Linfen will focus on energy transition, industrial upgrading and appropriately diversified development, accelerating the construction of a new energy system," he said. "We will fully promote the low-carbon development of traditional advantageous industries and develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, continuously strengthening green growth momentum and striving to build Linfen into a demonstration city for ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin."

Contact the writers at zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn