Let's go to factories -- Factory tours emerging as new Spring Festival travel trend

HIGH-TECH WONDERLAND

In a rare move to showcase its cutting-edge automotive production capabilities, China's tech giant Xiaomi opened the doors of its smart car factory in Beijing to the public at the start of 2025.

Located in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, the facility, sprawling across 718,000 square meters, almost the same size as the Palace Museum, is a marvel of modern engineering, where the company's first electric vehicle SU7 rolled off assembly line.

The factory tour offers a look at the future of automotive manufacturing.

Inside its workshops, over 700 industrial robots are performing tasks ranging from welding and painting to assembly and quality inspection.

Visitors are greeted by robotic arms assembling car parts with surgical precision, autonomous vehicles transporting materials while "humming" tunes, and intelligent systems monitoring every step of the production process.

"I was blown away by the scale and sophistication of this place," said Xie Ben from central China's Hunan province. "It's more than just a factory. It's a testament to what's possible when technology and innovation come together."

The factory, which integrates research, testing and production, is divided into six specialized workshops -- stamping, casting, body assembly, painting, battery production, and final assembly. A 2.5-kilometer test track completes the facility, ensuring every vehicle meets quality standards before leaving the factory.

One of the most impressive features is Xiaomi's self-developed 9,100-tonne super die-casting machine, the world's largest of its kind that has the size of two basketball courts.

"This machine is a game-changer," said a factory engineer. "It allows us to produce large, complex car parts in one piece -- significantly improving efficiency and structural integrity."

The factory also boasts a 91-percent automation rate, with key processes achieving 100 percent automation. Every 76 seconds, a brand-new SU7 rolls off the production line, underlining the facility's remarkable efficiency.

"It's like watching a symphony of machines. I'm not always a fan of machines, but this Xiaomi factory tour has changed my mind, because I saw the future and it's beautiful," said Zhao Qiuyue, a Beijing resident, during a recent tour.