Chongqing - During the Spring Festival holiday from February 10th to February 17th this year, Cave Spaceship No.1, China’s first sci-fi-themed scenic spot inside an actual bomb shelter ruin, located in Shapingba District, Chongqing, received more than 15,000 tourists, making it a popular tourist attraction.

Yang Min, a resident who lives nearby, said there was garbage all around here in the past, and people who passed by would hurry up and leave. Now, Shapingba District has brought life and vitality to the “sleeping” bomb shelters by introducing cultural tourism projects with an immersive experience. 

Facts have proved that the idle bomb shelter has indeed been revitalized, and its innovative “transformation” has successfully attracted the attention of citizens and tourists. Since its opening in March last year, the scenic spot has received more than 300,000 tourists and generated a turnover of more than 9 million yuan (about 1,25 million U.S. dollars).

Similarly, Fenghuang Mountain Park, located next to Ciqikou, is also undergoing renovation. In a few months, the once-dilapidated factory building will be completely transformed. Chongqing Xuchen Industrial Development Group Co., Ltd. is responsible for the project’s renovation. Liu Ke, deputy general manager of the company, said, “By filling in the shortcomings, we will improve the area’s environment, improve the landscape, repair the dilapidated environment and mountains, and create a cultural landscape park. At the same time, we will repair and update old houses, significantly improve the urban appearance, and promote the improvement of the urban energy level of the area.”

Jialing Bay Area of Shapingba District is surrounded by mountains and rivers and has prominent regional characteristics. Due to its early completion, there are currently some idle old factories, old residences, and other buildings, as well as some negative spaces such as “corner land,” “land under bridges,” and “slopes and cliffs,” which are in urgent need of revitalization.

Under the guidance of the Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, Shapingba District systematically sorted out 46 inefficient land and idle building spaces along the Jialing River, totaling 1.5 million square meters. The spatial pattern will be reconstructed through planning optimization and empowerment, and the “Jialing Bay Zone” will be built based on the Jialing Bay District's functional background and resource endowment.

At present, Shapingba District has revitalized 19 existing projects through planning and guidance, planned 14 new projects, and has 15 long-term reserves for forward projects. Planning empowerment enables various projects to be connected into lines and expanded into areas, revitalizing the city’s inefficient land resources, activating riverside public spaces, and reshaping the city’s image interface.

(Cheng Jialu, as an intern, also contributed to the report)