China’s robot-powered factories turn hi-tech production lines into tourist spots

Cheers erupted inside Xiaomi’s gleaming electric vehicle factory on the outskirts of Beijing when it recently welcomed its 100,000th visitor of the year – a tourist from Nanjing.

The milestone, announced on the company’s Weibo account, came after it opened part of its car production facilities to the public in April 2024 – turning a once-secretive factory floor into one of Beijing’s hottest new attractions. Xiaomi now plans to increase public tours to 111 sessions a month in November, the company said.

From assembly lines to aviation and robotics bases, industrial tourism is reshaping how Chinese consumers connect with the country’s advanced manufacturing sector.

On social media, hashtags like “factory tours”, “industrial tourism” and “super factory visits” have gone viral, with young people flooding platforms with videos from production sites.

“Tens of thousands apply for each open-house event. After waiting over half a year and applying over ten times, I finally got selected,” a female internet user shared on the social media platform RedNote.

In her post, she expressed awe at a workshop filled with hundreds of robots operating in tandem, adding that she hoped her son would one day work in the sector.