As a hub for emerging industries, Zhongbei Town in Xiqing District, Tianjin, is actively advancing the development of its cultural industries within a context of deep integration between industry and urban development.

Over the years, Zhongbei Town has forged a path of renewal—transforming from “industrial heritage” to “cultural creativity”—by renovating and repurposing key industrial heritage sites of outstanding value and rich historical significance.

With the official establishment of the Tianjin Conservatory of Music and the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts in Zhongbei Town, the coordinated protection, preservation, and utilization of the Grand Canal’s cultural heritage will be further advanced. This will inject fresh vitality into the region’s cultural prosperity, industrial development, and aesthetic education, highlighting the cultural charm of the “City of Grand Canal Culture.”

The Transition from “Industrial Memory” to “Cultural Creativity”

The former Tianjin Automobile Group Meiya Plant, established in 1958, evolved from the Jinxi Comprehensive Repair and Maintenance Plant to the Tianjin Meiya Automobile Plant. Meiya produced nationally renowned “Tianjin-made” vehicles such as the “Huang Dafa,” bearing witness to the development and transformation of Tianjin’s automotive industry, as well as the urbanization process of Zhongbei Town.

With the transformation and development of the automotive industry, the Meiya Automobile Plant gradually faded into the annals of history.

Rather than simply demolishing this long-dormant factory complex, Xiqing District opted to renovate and repurpose it, transforming this “old face” into a new urban “landmark” and infusing fresh vitality into Zhongbei Town’s creative industries.

In August 2018, the OCT Meiya Creative Cultural Park officially opened its doors. Centered on culture and art, the park has introduced three emerging industries—film and performing arts, new media clusters, and smart R&D—to build a hub for emerging industries with contemporary characteristics and international influence.

At the same time, the new automotive industrial park is operating at full capacity, actively transitioning toward the R&D and manufacturing of new energy and high-end automotive equipment. It is expanding into new fields such as smart transportation, automotive services, technological innovation, ride-hailing, car-sharing, automotive design, and autonomous driving, striving to build a national demonstration base for new industrialization.

Zhongbei Town is fostering the interaction and integration of cultural and technological elements—this industrial powerhouse exudes a unique cultural charm amidst the transition between old and new growth drivers.

Focusing on the “Grand Canal City of Arts” to Build an Art and Creative Town

In recent years, to drive the transformation of traditional industries, Zhongbei Town has begun revitalizing its resources of old factory buildings, initiating the renovation and upgrading of three industrial parks in three distinct directions: the Engineering Park (converting industry to industry), the Digital Technology Park (converting industry to research), and the Sports Center (converting industry to services).

Leveraging the exemplary role of these three renovated parks, Zhongbei Town has sparked a wave of transformation characterized by standardized industrial structures and multi-channel collaborative participation, achieving steady and rapid economic growth.

The renovation and upgrading of these parks require not only the continuous infusion of emerging industries but also the consistent integration of advanced cultural concepts.

The establishment of the “Grand Canal City of Arts” in Zhongbei Town, Xiqing District, Tianjin—with the relocation of two renowned art institutions, the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts and the Tianjin Conservatory of Music—will further accelerate the pace of Zhongbei Town’s transformation and upgrading, striving to become a benchmark where cultural creativity and technological innovation jointly lead high-quality development.

Advanced cultural concepts serve as the intellectual wellspring of technological innovation, while technological innovation acts as a powerful driver for transforming cultural production methods.

In the future, these two renowned art institutions will fully leverage their respective strengths to actively build an art industry system led by the creative arts sector. They will shape a “cultural calling card” for Tianjin’s Xiqing District with significant influence both domestically and internationally, working together to create an art and creativity town with global impact and fostering a pattern of creative transformation of cultural resources and high-quality development.

Cultural Development Enhances Urban Soft Power and a Sense of Belonging

Culture and the city share common characteristics: both serve as “homes” for people—the former in a spiritual sense, the latter in a material sense—and the two must coexist harmoniously, thriving together.

Therefore, a city must not only pursue industrial development to meet residents’ functional needs in terms of employment and consumption but also satisfy their spiritual needs.

It can be said that the soul and vitality of a city do not lie in the number of skyscrapers built here, but in whether it has fostered a culture worthy of praise, and whether it can use culture to enrich the city’s essence and bring a sense of belonging to its people.

And that sense of belonging is precisely a city’s greatest appeal.

From the perspective of economic development, industrial transformation, upgrading, and growth require innovation-driven momentum, and talent is the primary resource. To achieve industrial upgrading, we must continuously attract and retain talent.

In recent years, Zhongbei Town has centered its efforts on Tianjin’s strategy of “building the city on manufacturing” by strengthening technology-driven empowerment. It has continuously attracted technology-based enterprises to settle and develop here, covering numerous fields such as new energy, automotive, new materials, biopharmaceuticals, and smart manufacturing. In just a few short years, Zhongbei Town has become a vital engine driving the innovative development of Xiqing District, with the high-tech industry exhibiting a flourishing and dynamic momentum.

By targeting high-tech and high-end sectors and striving to build a hub for scientific and technological innovation, talent serves as the fundamental guarantee and sustained driving force for Zhongbei Town’s high-quality development.

The establishment of Tianjin Conservatory of Music and Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts in Zhongbei Town not only meets the urgent demand for talent during the town’s industrial transformation and upgrading but also fosters a distinctive cultural identity and urban character by building an arts industry system centered on creative arts. This approach enhances talent’s sense of identification, belonging, and pride.

Culture is the foundation of urban modernization and the very banner of a city. Whether fostering urban competitiveness or shaping the city’s image, advanced culture serves as the guiding principle.

Focusing on the development of a “Grand Canal Cultural City,” Zhongbei Town in Xiqing District, Tianjin, will undoubtedly continue to harness the powerful synergy of cultural creativity and technological innovation, resonate with the spirit of the new era, and strive to become a shining “pearl” on the Grand Canal.