A delegation of journalists from 15 international media outlets across Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran gained firsthand insights into Jinan’s development.

The “China, An Opportunity: Charming Jinan” overseas media tour delegation arrived at the Jinan Start-up Area of Growth Drivers Transformation on May 28. Their itinerary included visits to BYD’s Jinan factory, the State Grid Jinan Power Supply Company’s demonstration station in the Start-up Area, and the 2nd Shandong Provincial Vocational Skills Competition. During the visit, the delegation witnessed the city’s vigorous momentum in economic transformation.

As the capital of Shandong Province, Jinan, renowned as the “City of Springs”, is a cultural hub with over 2,600 years of history. Positioned as a core city in the Yellow River Basin and the heart of the Shandong Peninsula urban cluster, Jinan is actively building itself into a hub for technological innovation and openness. Against this backdrop, the Jinan Start-up Area of Growth Drivers Transformation was established in 2021 with the State Council’s approval, becoming the first national-level new area in the Yellow River Basin. Spanning 798 square kilometers across both banks of the Yellow River, the zone focuses on green and low-carbon initiatives, digital economy, and high-end manufacturing, aiming to become a new growth pole in northern China and a model “city of the future.”

The media delegation visited the Jinan Yellow River International Convention and Exhibition Center within the Start-up Area to cover the 2nd Shandong Provincial Vocational Skills Competition. As the province’s highest-level, largest-scale, and most influential comprehensive skills event, the competition featured an exhibition showcasing achievements in skills development. Highlights included a “Skills Shandong” zone, displays from 16 prefecture-level cities, and live demonstrations. Journalists experienced cutting-edge exhibits like Inspur’s intelligent reception robot and desktop laser engraving, alongside traditional Shandong crafts such as virtual welding, virtual spray painting, Song Dynasty-style tea preparation, gourd carving, and hemp weaving. This fusion of traditional heritage and digital innovation offered a vivid illustration of the region’s unique cultural vitality.

A notable exhibit was the “Shanhe” shield machine, currently deployed at the Jinan Huanggang Road Yellow River Tunnel—a key project connecting the Start-up Area with downtown Jinan. With a total length of 163 meters, weight of 5,200 tons, and installed power of 12,580 kilowatts, this slurry shield machine boasts the world’s largest diameter (17.5 meters) under construction. Its 306-cutter system includes 57 interchangeable disc/ripper cutters, while the 53 per cent cutterhead opening ratio optimizes performance in complex strata. Advanced features include a pressurized composite cutterhead, telescopic main drive, and borehole cameras, supported by an intelligent “Five Senses + One Brain” system for geological forecasting, stratum identification, gas monitoring, cutter wear detection, grout monitoring, and decision-making assistance—placing it at the global forefront of tunneling technology.

The “China, An Opportunity: Charming Jinan” tour, through on-site visits, in-depth exchanges, and diverse interactions, offered a comprehensive showcase of the Start-up Area’s progress in industrial development, green transformation, and talent-driven growth.