As dusk falls along the riverside promenade of Jiulong Peninsula in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, two towering chimneys stand out against the illuminated skyline. The site was once home to CHN Energy’s Chongqing Power Plant, a major industrial facility built in the 1950s that played a vital role in the city’s industrialization. Today, the former industrial compound has been transformed into Chongqing Art Park, a public cultural space open to residents and visitors alike.
Jiulong Peninsula in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality
The Chongqing Power Plant was one of the 156 key projects constructed during China’s First Five-Year Plan period (1953-1957). After its first generating unit went into operation in 1954, the plant served as a major power supplier for Chongqing and wider southwestern region. As its peak, it provided nearly 60 percent of the city’s electricity, earning its reputation as the “energy heart” of Chongqing’s industrial system.
Chongqing Art Park
Continuing an Energy Mission: From Closed Plant to Clean Power Base
As Chongqing entered a new stage of urban development, higher standards were set for the reliability, cleanliness and efficiency of energy supply. In 2015, all generating units at the old Chongqing Power Plant site were shut down, and the facility was relocated to the Wansheng Economic and Technological Development Zone as part of a broader initiative to replace outdated capacity with larger, cleaner and more efficient units.
As Chongqing entered a new stage of urban development, higher standards were set for the reliability, cleanliness and efficiency of energy supply. In 2015, all generating units at the old Chongqing Power Plant site were shut down, and the facility was relocated to the Wansheng Economic and Technological Development Zone as part of a broader initiative to replace outdated capacity with larger, cleaner and more efficient units.
At the end of 2022 and in May 2023, two high-efficiency coal-fired units with a combined capacity of 1.32 million kilowatts were put into operation, providing a strong boost to Chongqing’s power supply network. The new plant has been widely recognized for its construction and operational standards, receiving the 2025 “China High-Quality Electric Power Engineering Award” and a total of 27 national and provincial-level honors, along with multiple patents and technological innovation awards.
The relocation and upgrade are widely seen as a continuation of the plant’s long-standing energy mission in the new era, ensuring regional energy security while advancing the transition toward more efficient and cleaner power generation.
Chongqing Art Park
Revitalizing Industrial Heritage: From Power Facility to Public Cultural Space
Instead of being demolished after completing its historical role, the old plant site was preserved. In 2021, it was included in the first batch of Industrial Heritage Sites in Chongqing Municipality, in recognition of its well-preserved industrial structures, technological significance and historical value. Plans were later unveiled to redevelop the area into an art-themed public park.
In October 2025, the site was further listed among the seventh batch of National Industrial Heritage Sites. According to the redevelopment plan, the former plant will serve as a multifunctional cultural space integrating exhibitions, public art, education and leisure, while forming cultural linkages with museums and galleries along the Jiulong Peninsula.
Graffiti wall at Chongqing Art Park
Preservation with Empowerment of Art: A New Path for Industrial Renewal
Throughout the redevelopment process, a “preservation with empowerment of art” approach has been adopted, with efforts made to retain the site’s original industrial structures and spatial features.
Two 240-meter-high chimneys, built in 1984 and 1994 respectively, have been fully preserved. Enhanced with lighting and visual installations, they now narrate the plant’s industrial past and have become new landmarks in Chongqing’s nighttime skyline.
Aerial view of walkways at Chongqing Art Park
From Popular Attraction to Community Living Space
During the National Day holiday this year, the “Light and Shadow Journey” beer and music festival was held at Chongqing Art Park, drawing large crowds and quickly turning the site into a vibrant public gathering space.
According to an official with CHN Energy Chongqing branch, the project is not intended to create a short-lived online attraction, but rather to transform the former industrial site into a long-term public space that serves local communities and integrates urban renewal into everyday life.
A Contemporary Expression of Industrial History
The transformation of the Chongqing Power Plant from an energy facility into an art park is regarded as a practical example of industrial heritage reuse amid urban renewal. While the old structures retain the textures and forms of the industrial era, new artistic and public functions have given them renewed relevance.
As night falls and the twin chimneys light up once again, they no longer symbolize power generation alone, but stand as part of the city’s collective memory, reflecting Chongqing’s efforts to preserve its past while creating new spaces for urban life.
