Kaiyuan Power Plant (Tianxing Cultural City)

In the spring of 1955, builders broke ground in Kaiyuan to construct Yunnan's first semi-automated, coal-fired thermal power plant. Designated as one of the 156 key Soviet-aided projects under China's First Five-Year Plan, the facility arose from a critical need to power the tin mines of Gejiu. Seventeen Soviet experts arrived on-site, carrying blueprints and technical expertise to guide local laborers. Together, they raised a massive industrial complex spanning 170,000 square meters, anchored by three towering sixty-meter-high chimneys that sliced into the southern Yunnan sky.

Inside the main workshop, the layout followed a strict logical flow from west to east. Coal moved through the conveying system into the bunker bay, feeding the boilers to produce high-pressure steam that spun the massive turbines. On March 17, 1956, the first generating unit roared to life, sending electricity across the regional grid. By the time the final expansion finished in 1965, the state had invested 73.9 million RMB, achieving a capacity of 70,000 kilowatts.

Human presence remains etched into the very fabric of the architecture. On the red brick masonry walls, hand-painted safety slogans declare that safety is honorable and violations are shameful. These bold characters watched over generations of workers who braved the intense heat of the boiler rooms and the deafening hum of the generators.

The fires of the boilers were finally extinguished on June 15, 1998, silenced by environmental concerns and shifting energy technologies. Yet, the structure avoided demolition. In 2019, the site received national protection status. A meticulous restoration completed in December 2025 preserved the authentic, weathered appearance of the main workshop. Craftsmen used a precise mixture of lime, cement, and pulverized red brick dust at a one-to-four ratio to patch the decaying masonry, ensuring the original color remained intact.

Today, the plant serves new purposes. Part of the compound operates as the Tianxing Cultural City, hosting a hotel and a specialized training center where power grid workers practice live-line maintenance. The historic workshop is preparing to open as Yunnan's first comprehensive industrial museum. Visitors can walk beneath the original steel-truss roofs, touch the rough, restored brickwork, and feel the quiet gravity of a place that once generated the lifeblood of Yunnan's early modern industry.