Information Office of Jinan Municipal People's Government
JINAN, China, Oct. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Recently, the "New Era· Discover China" international media tour, organized by the Information Office of Jinan Municipal People's Government, made its way to Jinan.
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.
Inside the heavy stamping equipment assembly plant of JIER Machine-Tool Group, large machine tools were being assembled and commissioned. In the training shop, young operators learned to operate the equipment under the guidance of experienced workers. The Group developed China's first gantry planer in 1953 and has since grown into one of the world's top three manufacturers of CNC stamping equipment, with exports to 67 countries and regions. Its machines can be seen on assembly lines run by global automakers such as General Motors, Ford, and Volkswagen.
In Zhangqiu District, east of Jinan, Iraeta Energy Equipment Co., Ltd. has produced a monolithic seamless rolled ring weighing 143 metric tons with a diameter of 21.029 meters. The company says the ring set a Guinness World Record. For this long-established industrial city along the Yellow River, the transfer of technical expertise from one generation to the next within workshops remains an important part of its economic story.
Yet Jinan's development extends beyond manufacturing. In Wujiabao Subdistrict, Huaiyin District, the clean energy branch of Huaneng Shandong Power Co., Ltd. has revitalized over 1,500 mu of idle ponds by developing an integrated fishery-solar photovoltaic project. The site uses 500-meter flexible photovoltaic support spans that keep shading under 40%, ensuring suitable conditions for aquaculture beneath the panels. This creates a model of "power generation above the panels and aquaculture below." The project generates enough electricity annually to power 40,000 households, while bringing around 2 million yuan in land rental income each year to three nearby villages.
In Zhangqiu District, SQ Group transforms crop straw into over 100 bio-based materials, including cellulosic ethanol and biochar. The company notes that some of these materials have even been used in the return capsule of a Shenzhou spacecraft and the Chang'e-6 lunar probe. While the sustainability of such initiatives hinges on order volumes, electricity tariffs, land use arrangements, and market demand, they offer a concrete example of how an old industrial city is seeking new drivers of growth.
As night falls, rowing boats glide through the waterways of Mingshui Ancient Town in Zhangqiu, where Song-style buildings glow with lights along the banks. The former residence of Li Qingzhao, a Song Dynasty poet, sits by the water, surrounded by springs such as Meihua Spring, Mo Spring, and Baimai Spring. On the Shilou Plaza, the Yi'an Poetry gathering draws visitors with poetry quizzes and interactions. Nearby night taverns serve hanging-oven flatbreads, spring-water tofu, and mutton soup. The city aims to bring together its springs, the cultural legacy of Li Qingzhao and nighttime tourism, adding a new dimension to the city's appeal beyond daytime sightseeing.
Contact person: Ms. Zhang, Tel: 86-10-63074558.
