Chongqing — Across the city, former industrial sites are being reimagined as vibrant cultural and entrepreneurial hubs, marking a significant shift in Chongqing’s approach to urban renewal. One standout example is the Beicang Cultural and Creative Block, which transformed the former Jiangbei Textile Factory's abandoned warehouses into a dynamic district that has attracted over two million visitors this year alone.
Located near the Guanyinqiao commercial area in Liangjiang New Area, Beicang represents a growing trend in urban redevelopment that prioritizes preservation and community integration over demolition. Rather than being torn down for real estate, aging structures are increasingly being adaptively reused, blending historical elements with new cultural and commercial functions. This model has proven successful: the project has received over 50 national honors, including designations as a National Cultural Industry Demonstration Base and one of China’s first National Tourist and Leisure Blocks.
Visitors arrive early as Beicang Cultural and Creative Block begins to stir for the day. (Photo/Peng Yu)
When the transformation began in 2015, many residents expected the aging warehouses to be demolished for real estate development. But Li Chuanbo, a spatial designer and founder of Beicang Cultural and Creative Block, pushed for a different path.
“These warehouses carry the memories of Chongqing’s textile industry,” Li said. “If we demolished them, those memories would disappear. Our task was not to end their story, but to write a new chapter.”
Li’s team adopted a principle of “protective restoration and innovative renewal.” Old bricks, timber, and iron doors were reused as design elements, while the factory’s steel structures, architectural textures, and even its original vegetation were preserved. The initial 10,000-square-meter phase was planned with an even balance: half devoted to public cultural spaces — such as the Beicang Library and art venues — and half to cafés, creative restaurants, and lifestyle shops.
Beicang’s operators follow an unconventional philosophy — “recruit people, not merchants.” Instead of filling space by commercial category, the block prioritizes “interesting people with interesting ideas,” said director Chen Yunying.
That strategy has fostered distinctive concepts, including an exotic-pet café where customers sip coffee beside reptiles and parrots. More than 80 young entrepreneurs have launched ventures here, creating over 500 jobs. International elements are growing too: a cocktail bar operated by an Italian owner introduces Mediterranean flavors to the neighborhood, while many designers returning from overseas have opened studios.
“Young and vibrant — that’s our core,” Chen said, noting that the operation team’s average age is just 30. “This year we’ve seen a clear rise in visitor groups from Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea.”
Tourists stop at a “blue-sky-and-white-clouds”-themed shop inside Beicang Cultural and Creative Block. (Photo/Li Yuheng)
Beicang’s success has radiated into the adjacent Taping Community, a residential area built between the 1960s and 1980s that once suffered from deteriorating buildings and poor infrastructure. For years, many residents hoped the neighborhood would be razed.
“After seeing Beicang’s achievements, people changed their minds,” said Li Zuguo, director of the Community Service Center of the Guanyinqiao Subdistrict.
In 2022, the local government renovated 44 buildings and nearly 1,500 households in Taping. Beicang’s team supported the effort by providing cultural programming and commercial guidance, helping shape Beicangli, a revitalized community space connected to the main block. Today, Beicangli hosts more than 90 specialty shops and supports over 800 jobs.
A cultural event attracts visitors who pause to take photos. (Photo/Cui Li)
Together, Beicang Cultural and Creative Block and Beicangli now host nearly 180 businesses, generate about two billion yuan (US $280 million) in annual output, and support more than 1,500 jobs directly and indirectly. The district hosts more than 300 cultural and artistic events each year, including programs linked to the Chengdu–Chongqing Twin-City Block Art Season.
Beicang receives roughly 15,000 visitors on weekdays, 30,000 on weekends, and more than 80,000 during holidays. From January to October, the district welcomed more than two million tourists.
A once-silent industrial site has become one of Chongqing’s liveliest cultural districts — a model for people-centered urban renewal and proof that, when restored with care, the past can help shape a more vibrant future.