A bird's-eye view of the renewed water system in Liaoyuan, Jilin. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

Once scarred by a century of coal mining, Liaoyuan city in Northeast China's Jilin province is transforming through renewable energy and cultural tourism.

Former mining subsidence zones in the city's north were once pitted with craters and plagued by flooding. After the final mine was sealed in 2024, the Laodao Mountain gravity energy storage project reclaimed the pits, extended drainage networks, and linked four lakes into a green water system.

Super ONE Basketball Park inside Heijin Town. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

This ecological revival laid the foundations for tourism. Liaoyuan Zoo and Botanical Garden now attract weekend crowds, while Heijin Town, converted from an abandoned turnout factory, blends vintage industrial heritage with modern leisure, having drawn over 250,000 visitors in its six-month trial run.

"When I first visited here two years ago, the subsidence zone's desolation and the Liaoyuan people's determination for change showed me the potential for rebirth," said Jin Fengxiao, manager of Jindou Investment Holding Group General. With united government-enterprise efforts, project approval took just 47 days, a service team worked on-site throughout the Spring Festival, and retired miners offered guidance.

Peacocks at Liaoyuan Zoo and Botanical Garden. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

"We aim to integrate science education and family activities," said Jin. "The goal is to awaken industrial memories, renew the land, and build Northeast China's first eco-park in a center subsidence zone."