Revitalizing Shitanjing: Green power fuels cultural tourism in Ningxia

On Aug 30, the Beijing Film Academy's "Youth Industrial Image Creation Program" was launched in Shitanjing Cultural-Tourism Town in Shizuishan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, infusing the transformation and upgrading of this century-old industrial mining area with rich cultural depth and fresh momentum. During the event, State Grid Shizuishan Power Supply Company maintained a round-the-clock on-site presence and delivered stable, efficient, safe and reliable electricity supply.

Recently, driven by the sustained box-office success of the hit film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, Shitanjing Cultural-Tourism Town has grown more popular, entering a sustained tourism boom. With its authentic industrial heritage from the 1960s and 1970s, Shitanjing has become a distinctive industrial film and cultural tourism base.

The surge in visitors has revitalized local restaurants, homestays, and specialty tourism businesses, which drives a steady rise in regional electricity demand. Constrained by historical development conditions, however, the outdated 6 kilovolt power grid has become a prominent bottleneck holding back the town's high-quality development — affecting both residents' daily lives and business operations, and posing latent safety risks.

To address Shitanjing's long-standing pain points in electricity supply and public services, State Grid Shizuishan Power Supply Company stepped up and launched targeted initiatives. Working closely with the local government, sub-district offices, and community committees, the company carried out town-wide inspections of electrical hazards and a thorough assessment of existing power supply conditions, designating the town's grid upgrade as a key project for the benefit of local residents.

Under coordinated arrangements by local authorities, the company took over the aging power assets in full and advanced grid upgrades, equipment installation, and line renovations in an orderly manner. These efforts have resolved years-long power supply problems at their root, fully meeting the diversified electricity needs of the town's tourism industry, businesses, and residents alike.

Alongside hardware upgrades, the company is also elevating its "Saishang Green Power" premium service system. The "Saishang Green Power Service Station" based in the town has entered its final commissioning phase. As a key platform for State Grid Ningxia Power Supply Company to build a distinctive power service brand, the station integrates cultural preservation, business processing, public convenience services, and brand promotion, aiming to turn green power development into tangible benefits for local residents and industrial growth.

Guided by the development of Ningxia's new-type power system, State Grid Shizuishan Power Supply Company has been committed to creating Ningxia's first demonstration model of green power transition in a coal mining area.

Once operational, the project will enable seamless switching between primary and backup power sources, fundamentally eliminating weak links in the regional grid and significantly improving supply reliability and stability. More importantly, it will enable green power to be generated, consumed, and used efficiently right within the town. The project will help Shitanjing run entirely on clean, low-carbon, renewable electricity, injecting green momentum into film production and eco-cultural tourism.

The wind rises over the Helan Mountains, and green power revitalizes the new town. State Grid Shizuishan Power Supply Company — with its reliable grid, premium services, and green energy — empowers the locality's transformation and development, helping Shitanjing, a century-old industrial mining town, blossom into a landmark cultural tourism destination, and providing solid power support for the high-quality development of Shizuishan's cultural tourism industry.