Shougang: From industrial base to attraction in Beijing

Adjoining the lake’s northwest corner, physically attached onto the No 3 furnace is an example of modern architecture contrasting vividly with the towers of interlocked metal pipes rising nearby. The low-rise stylish building is home to a craft brewery and restaurant, Shang Brew. It boasts outdoor dining on the lakeside terrace with views stretching across the waters to Bixiayuanjun Temple. The temple sits on a hill between the industrial complex and now cleaned up, park-lined waters of the Yongding River. Such contrasts with the steel works are amazing!

A short walk from Shang Brew rises a structure, once an integral part of Shougang’s operations. It has been transformed into a uniquely designed Holiday Inn Express hotel. Nearby is a recently opened outlet of international coffee brand, Starbucks. Occupying a long structure with outdoor balconies, it rests alongside a complex backdrop of pipes and cylinders dating from a period when drinking coffee was virtually unknown in Beijing!

A contemporary bookstore is set into the base of No 3 furnace, beyond which numerous sites continue with their transformation. Nearby is Qunminghu Lake. Stretches of water were a common feature in steel works - reservoirs for fire fighting, areas for sediments to sink from waters used in industrial processes. Today the ponds have been cleaned up, restored to excellent condition with some exciting developments around the shores.

Close to now redundant cooling towers rise the graceful lines of a ski jump that will be home to some spectacular action during the 2022 Winter Games. Within the immediate area is the training center for "Four Ices" national teams - ice hockey, figure skating and speedskating along with curling. Alongside, a high-end hotel development is under construction. Five-star Shangri-La Shougang Park will be partly created from a magnificently renovated industrial shell. It will provide the highest standards of comfort for guests during the Olympics and for future generations of tourists or those on business visiting the area.

Shougang has witnessed what is best described as an incredible transformation since its days when blast furnaces lit up the skies. By 2022, the area will reverberate not to the sounds of industry but to cheers from spectators thrilled at the ongoing sports performances around Qunminghu. Shougang will play a significant role during the upcoming Winter Olympics which will also include northern sites at Yanqing and Zhangjiakou.

Throughout this year, 2021, Shougang will continue to evolve as more industrial restoration is completed along with some exciting new venues opening. There is much to look forward to and to experience there in the run-up toward the Olympics and for many years thereafter.

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