The new-age outlook in old Hunan

Industries and cities in the central China province connect around the world

The factory floor in Changsha reverberates with the thunderous rumble of mysterious machinery, relentless robotic arms turning out enough building material every 72 hours to make an entire skyscraper. Somewhere in Russia, and in parts of Africa and South America, the pieces of prefabricated concrete wall the factory spits out will become offices and homes.

In a cavernous workshop in Zhuzhou, technicians swarm over the carapaces of new electric trains, assembling and outfitting rigs that will ride the rails across China and other lands.