HEGANG, China, July 3, 2026 /Xinhua-Asianet/--
In recent years, Hegang, a border city in northern China, has blazed a trail of green transformation for resource-based cities. Having evolved from an aging coal town into one of China's first batch of "Hidden Gem City", it serves as a vivid example of China's resource-based city transition through diverse industries including ecological restoration, border cultural tourism, grassroots livelihood businesses, and red-culture study tours.
Located in Northeast China, Hegang is a vital energy industrial city. The Publicity Department of the CPC Hegang Municipal Committee noted that over 80 percent of the city's fiscal expenditure has been allocated to people's livelihoods in recent years. Abandoned coal subsidence zones, shantytowns and derelict wastelands have been reconstructed into ecological leisure spaces, enabling local residents to reap the benefits of ecological progress. The city has coordinated systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands, rehabilitating 1130 hectares of mine lands and restoring 3633 hectares of wetlands. Two major rivers and fourteen streams now carry clear water through the city, and Hegang has ranked among the top three cities in Heilongjiang Province for the number of days with good air quality for five consecutive years. In 2026, Hegang was named one of the country's first batch of "Hidden Gem City". Last year, it received 6.74 million tourist visits and generated total tourism revenue of 5.4 billion yuan, representing year-on-year growth of 10.8% and 12.4% respectively. Local resident Cui Yurou said proudly: "Once this place was dusty and overgrown with weeds, but now a exquisite urban green space is right outside our homes."
The Publicity Department of the CPC Hegang Municipal Committee noted that Hegang's shift from a coal-thriving city to a hub of all-for-one cultural tourism entails far more than environmental improvements through mine reforestation, it marks a comprehensive reshaping of the city's development mindset. The local government is now advancing the cultural tourism industry from a seasonal industry booming only in summer to a year-round sustainable pillar industry, continuously narrating China's experience in sustainable development for resource-based cities.
Source: Publicity Department of the CPC Hegang Municipal Committee
