A small city in western Jiangxi with a permanent population of under 1.2 million 鈥?how does it manage to astonish the world?

Xinyu city proper. Photo by Ling Houxiang.

Among all prefecture-level cities in Jiangxi Province, it has the smallest area. Yet this "small-statured" city not only gave birth to the world-renowned scientific classic Tiangong Kaiwu, but also grew into Jiangxi's largest steel production base and one of the world's largest lithium salt production bases, ranking among China's top 100 cities for innovation capability for many consecutive years.

It is Xinyu 鈥?a city where a "small stature" unleashes "big energy."

From "Flying Steel Sparks" to "Shining Lithium Light"

When it comes to Xinyu, the first word that pops into the minds of the older generation is certainly 鈥?steel.

That's right. Xinyu Iron and Steel Group (Xingang Group) once made this city famous for its "flying steel sparks," and the steel industry at one point accounted for more than 80% of total industrial output value.

But Xinyu did not rest on its laurels. Silicon steel is hailed as the "jewel in the crown" of the steel industry and is a key material for manufacturing high-end motors used in home appliances, new energy vehicles, and industrial robots. However, it long relied on imports.

After six years of technical research, the R&D team at Xingang continuously improved its processes and successfully rolled high-end "hand-tearable steel" that can be torn apart by hand, with a thickness of only 0.08 millimeters. Its ultra-thin and wide-format production technology leads the world, and its new energy silicon steel production and sales rank third nationwide.

0.08-millimeter "hand-tearable steel." Photo by Huang Gongzhuo.

Inside the automated production workshop of Ganfeng Lithium, bags of lithium salt are loaded onto trucks and shipped around the world. Twenty-six years ago, Ganfeng Lithium was an obscure township enterprise. Today, it has grown into the world's largest metal lithium producer and Asia's largest lithium compound producer.

Leveraging Ganfeng Lithium's role as a chain leader, Xinyu has risen to become one of the world's largest lithium salt production bases, with annual lithium salt production capacity exceeding 300,000 tons and annual lithium battery production capacity exceeding 45 GWh. Its lithium hydroxide exports account for more than 50% of the international market share.

According to statistics, for every six new energy vehicles in China, one vehicle's power battery lithium salt comes from Xinyu. The photo shows the automated battery cell PACK production workshop of Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Battery Technology Co., Ltd. Photo by Ling Houxiang.

From a "city of steel" to a "capital of lithium batteries," Xinyu has proven through a remarkable industrial transformation that old industrial cities are not limited to the path of "shutdown, suspension, merger, or conversion" 鈥?they can also see "old trees sprout new buds and new trees grow strong branches."

Over the past three years, 110 industrial enterprises across the city have cumulatively invested in 152 additional projects, with total investment reaching 74.76 billion yuan. The "Phase II and Phase III phenomenon" has become a common trend. Global lithium giant Albemarle has increased its investment three times in 10 years 鈥?a vote of confidence in a city's business environment.

In the first half of this year, the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size grew by 8.8%, the highest growth rate in the province.

Xinyu is carrying forward the spirit of Tiangong Kaiwu, breaking through through transformation, and writing a new legend of Tiangong Kaiwu.

"Embroidery Kung Fu" That Warms the City

Xinyu is not large, but it is exquisite. Its urbanization rate of 77.72% firmly ranks second in the province, with a distinctive "city-region integration" character.

The tranquil Hamashan Village. Photo by Tan Jianrong.

In autumn, century-old camphor trees cast deep shade over Hamashan Village in Yushui District. New-style tea shops, art studios, and book bars are scattered in a charming arrangement. It is hard to imagine that this was once a dirty and chaotic urban village. Following the concept of "preserving the original appearance and enhancing the style," local authorities carried out micro-renovations on 62 idle old houses. Today, all the old houses have been revitalized, attracting more than 40 specialty businesses to move in, blending artistic flavor with the vibrancy of everyday life.

The Xingang 1958 Memory Block is bustling with visitors. Photo by Zhao Chunliang.

The Xingang 1958 Memory Block carries the steel complex of Xinyu residents. With the theme of "Fiery Era 路 A Taste of Life," local authorities used neon signs and steel culture IP to awaken industrial memories and create a trendy check-in spot integrating food, culture, and entertainment.

Shatu Old Street used over 1,600 square meters of building facade murals to transform a dirty and chaotic back alley into a "wall museum" recording the city's rings of time.

What to do with idle land plots? Xinyu's answer is "1.5-level land development" 鈥?that is, during the "window period" after primary land development is completed and before secondary development begins, priority is given to meeting public service needs through "light intervention and reversible" approaches.

An aerial view of the Xinyu High-tech Zone Sports Park, lush with greenery, with football fields, basketball courts, and other sports and leisure facilities distributed throughout. Photo by Tan Jianrong.

Once weed-covered idle land has been transformed into a bustling sports park, with football, basketball, and pickleball courts full of active figures.

A total of 370 old residential communities have been renovated, improving the living environment for more than 80,000 households.

From "surface" to "substance," Xinyu has used "embroidery kung fu" to simultaneously enhance the city's resilience, warmth, and beauty.

One Lake of Clear Water, A City's Ecological Conscience

In Tiangong Kaiwu, Song Yingxing advocated "taking in due time and using in moderation," conveying the ancient wisdom of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

Today, this concept has become the distinctive backdrop of Xinyu's industrial transformation.

The abandoned mining area of Jinshishan in Xinyu, Jiangxi, has been restored into a scenic spot. Photo by Tan Jianrong.

High-altitude bungee jumping, cliff swings... In Ouli Town, Xiannvhu District, Xinyu, the once-abandoned Jinshishan mine has been transformed through ecological restoration and cultural-tourism integration into a popular local check-in spot. Since opening last year, it has received more than 320,000 visitors.

From "selling ore" to "selling scenery," from "burden" to "wealth," this industrial city is undergoing a profound green transformation.

The sixth stage of the 13th Poyang Lake International Cycling Race is held at Xiannvhu Scenic Area in Xinyu, Jiangxi. Photo by Xu Nanping.

Since 2019, Baowu Xingang has invested more than 13 billion yuan to advance ultra-low emission upgrades, becoming Jiangxi's first steel enterprise to achieve full-process ultra-low emissions, with major pollutant emissions dropping by more than 70%.

As the province's first city-wide carbon peak pilot city, Xinyu has achieved full coverage of national-level green parks and blazed a new path of coordinated coexistence between industrial development and ecological protection.

The sixth stage of the 13th Poyang Lake International Cycling Race is held at Xiannvhu Scenic Area in Xinyu, Jiangxi. Photo by Xu Nanping.

By the shores of Xiannvhu, hundreds of herons soar freely, and wild cormorants, coots, and moorhens appear in flocks. Xiannvhu Qixi Cultural Tourism Resort has successfully been designated a national-level tourist resort. In the first half of 2026, ticket-buying visitors to the island increased by 50.3% year-on-year. The brand "Romantic Qixi, Meet at Xiannvhu" has taken root in people's hearts.

Tiangong Kaiwu: More Than a Book

Nearly four hundred years ago, Song Yingxing served as an education official in Fenyi County and wrote the world-influencing scientific masterpiece Tiangong Kaiwu.

The book has been translated into multiple languages and published in more than 20 versions worldwide. It is praised as "China's 17th-century encyclopedia of crafts" and regarded as a authoritative reference by scholars in many countries.

Stage photo of the stage play Tiangong Kaiwu. Photo courtesy of Jiangxi Cultural Performance Group.

After being adapted for the stage, Tiangong Kaiwu won over a younger generation on internet platforms. The dance drama Tiangong Kaiwu has toured more than 150 times domestically and abroad, with cumulative audiences exceeding 120,000. It has appeared at important platforms including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs New Year Reception and UN Headquarters, continuously showcasing the charm of Chinese culture to the world.

As the birthplace of Tiangong Kaiwu, Xinyu has designated "Tiangong Kaiwu culture" as the city's thematic culture. From documentaries to animated series such as Tiangong Kaiwu 路 Happy Island, to establishing the Jiangxi Tiangong Kaiwu Culture Research Association, and hosting the "Tiangong Kaiwu Cup" industrial design competition and cultural-creative design competition, local authorities continue to deeply cultivate the inheritance and innovation of Tiangong Kaiwu culture, allowing it to "live in the present and trend among the people" and transforming it into "hard support for industrial development."

From October 7 to 9, the third Mingde Strategic Dialogue 鈥?"Tiangong Kaiwu: Linking the Globe 鈥?Xinyu Industrial High-Quality Development Dialogue" 鈥?will be held in Xinyu, Jiangxi.

As an important event of this high-end platform's first visit to Jiangxi and its landing in Xinyu, the dialogue will gather approximately 120 guests from domestic and international political, academic, business, cultural, and media circles to jointly discuss how to use culture as a medium and industry as a foundation to promote deep integration of fine traditional Chinese culture with advanced manufacturing, and to showcase China's style and Xinyu's story to the world.

This small city awaits your visit 鈥?to see industrial transformation, everyday life, and a place that is "not large but refined, not loud but strong."

Author: Wang Xiaozhen