China’s robot-powered factories turn hi-tech production lines into tourist hotspots
The advanced manufacturing sector is fast emerging as the travel industry’s latest growth driver
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.
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.
According to data from Trip.com Group, industrial tourism was among the top travel trends during the National Day holiday, with visits to aviation, automotive and aerospace plants accounting for over 20 per cent of related searches.