Datong, a major coal producer in north China's Shanxi Province 300 km from Beijing, was notorious for its polluted air. However, the situation has changed in recent years as the city promotes an energy revolution with the focus on encouraging new-energy vehicles and developing wind and solar power.

Datong has advantages for developing the solar industry since it enjoys 2,800 hours of sunshine on average annually. Also, it has rich land resources including sunken land, the residue of coal mining. The solar panels in the sunken area are widely spaced with shrubs planted in between to conserve water and soil and promote ecological protection.

In addition, its strong power grid can transmit the electricity generated by solar power to Beijing, Tianjin and some cities in neighboring Hebei Province.

Datong also has a science and technology park to promote scientific innovation and incubate emerging industries such as high-end equipment manufacturing, e-commerce, culture, tourism and ecological agriculture.

However, the energy revolution is not meant to end the use of coal but to promote clean and efficient consumption.

The Datong Coal Mine Group has built a circular economy park to promote green, diversified and low-carbon coal use. A circular economy is an economic system to reduce waste generation and optimize the utilization of resources.

The transformation of the energy mix has boosted tourism in the ancient city with a wealth of historical and cultural sites. Today, even during the slack season of November and December, many tourists still go either for sightseeing or recuperation. A high-speed railway will be completed this year, reducing the travel time between Beijing and Datong to 100 minutes, which is expected to boost the number of visitors.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in Oriental Outlook on April 4)