Nestled in the northern part of the Helan Mountains in Ningxia lies Shitanjing, an old mining area once renowned both domestically and internationally for its "Taixi Coal." Known as the "Hundred-Mile Mining Area" of the Helan Mountains, it covers an area of 356 square kilometers and was once one of the largest coking coal bases in Northwest China. Later, in response to the national ecological and environmental protection strategy, Shitanjing underwent a painful transformation, from being reorganized from a district to a subdistrict, to ecological restoration, and then to developing cultural tourism. Today, this small town is radiating new vitality through an integrated development model of "industrial tourism + film and television production + sports events."

Shitanjing Industrial, Cultural Tourism and Film Town. Photo by Chang Xiaojiao.

Ecological restoration: From "black scars" to "wildflowers blooming across the mountains"

Shitanjing was once one of my country's important coking coal bases. At its peak, all four mines under the Shitanjing Mining Bureau, as well as Baijigou Mine, Wulan Mine, and Dafeng Open-pit Coal Mine, were in full production, producing a total of over 170 million tons of raw coal. More than 100,000 miners and their families lived there. The mining area had canteens, schools, hospitals, and clubs, and was once known as the "Little Hong Kong" of Northwest China.

The unregulated mining of coal has placed immense pressure on the ecology of the Helan Mountains. In 2017, Ningxia officially launched the "Helan Mountain Ecological Protection Campaign." All coal mines, non-coal mines, coal washing and storage plants within the Shitanjing Nature Reserve were completely shut down, and integrated protection and restoration efforts continued. The remediation work was divided into three phases: cleanup and remediation, comprehensive restoration, and consolidation and improvement. A total of 146 square kilometers were treated, 39 coal mines, 61 non-coal mines, and 582 coal-related enterprises were closed, and approximately 20 million tons of coal production capacity were reduced. More than 8,000 mu of land were greened, with 93,000 trees and over 220,000 shrubs planted, and grass seeds sown over an area of 33.5 square kilometers.

In the Dadenggou mining area of Shitanjing, the former slag heaps have been leveled and downgraded, and desert plants such as tamarisk, sea buckthorn, and artemisia serrata sway in the wind. After a rainstorm in 2023, two clear springs emerged from the slope of the mine pit and have been flowing year-round. Workers planted water lilies in the springs, and now pink flowers bloom every early summer. Wild animals such as blue sheep and golden pheasants are frequently seen, and snow leopard tracks have even been monitored—providing the most direct evidence of the improving ecology. With the support of abundant water resources, the local area has successively carried out several projects, including water conservation and ecological management on the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains and ecological restoration of historically abandoned mines. The regional ecology continues to improve, and a stable xerophytic plant community has gradually formed.

Light and shadow empower: "Natural film studio" attracts film crews to settle down

Ecological restoration has created conditions for industrial transformation. Shitanjing preserves a complete industrial and mining administrative area site that is "rare in the country and unique in Ningxia". Buildings such as schools, hospitals, shops, streets, mining areas, factories, and railway stations from the 1960s to the 1990s have been preserved to this day, making it an excellent filming location for realistic, military nostalgia, and futuristic science fiction films and television dramas.

In 2022, the film "The Long Journey Home" was filmed in Shitanjing, bringing this old mining area into the spotlight of the film and television industry with its box office of 1.6 billion yuan and widespread social influence. To date, more than 60 films and television series, including "Love Between Mountains and Seas," "Welcome to Long Restaurant," "The Long Journey Home," "Flame in the Wind," "The King of Snipers," and "Green Train," have been filmed here.

Shitanjing Industrial, Cultural Tourism and Film Town. Photo by Chang Xiaojiao.

Wang Peng, secretary of the Party Working Committee of Shitanjing Subdistrict, said: "The popularity of film and television has played a very important role in the cultural tourism development of Shitanjing. After the release of 'Welcome to Long Restaurant' in August 2026, the town's popularity continued to rise, attracting nearly 80,000 tourists and generating more than 400,000 yuan in revenue."

The film "Welcome to Dragon Restaurant" was filmed in the Shitanjing Industrial Cultural Tourism Film and Television Town. The picture shows the "War School" from the film. (Photo by Chang Xiaojiao)

As a 3A-level tourist attraction, the Shitanjing Industrial Cultural Tourism Film and Television Town has also developed supporting industries. It is understood that the Dawukou District coordinated the revitalization of idle employee apartments and restaurants, transforming them into actors' apartments and a central kitchen, capable of accommodating 200 film crew members and providing meals for 500. An actors' guild was also established, providing a total of 13,000 extras, effectively boosting local employment.

In 2023, the Shizuishan Municipal Government and the Beijing Film Academy signed a strategic cooperation agreement, and the "Beijing Film Academy Shitanjing Film and Television Creation Practice Base" was officially unveiled. In August 2026, the "Youth Industrial Image Creation Program" was launched, marking a new stage in the cooperation between the university and the local government, moving from base construction to the creation of high-quality works.

Cultural and tourism integration: a new calling card for the old mining area

Using film and television as a medium and tourism as an engine, Shitanjing is deeply promoting cross-sectoral collaboration. The most distinctive feature is the No. 7524 green train, a commuter line to the Shitanjing mining area, which opened in 1971. It still departs on time every morning, passing through seven abandoned mining areas and is known as a "walking classroom of industrial history," which is very popular with tourists and study tour groups.

Shitanjing Industrial, Cultural Tourism and Film Town. Photo by Chang Xiaojiao.

According to Wang Peng, the new energy industry has also been quietly established in Shitanjing, with wind turbines turning in the wind in the hinterland of Helan Mountain, which also marks a new step forward for this old mining area in the supply of green energy.

From a "hundred-mile mining area" to a "natural film studio," from "black scars" to "wildflowers blooming everywhere," the transformation of Shitanjing is a vivid microcosm of the transformation and development of resource-depleted cities. This land, which carries the memories of generations of struggle, is writing a new story in a different way. (Source: China.com, Author: Chang Xiaojiao)

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