Lighting up heritage: China's nighttime modernization

Min Rui is a special commentator on cultural affairs for CGTN. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

As night falls, Beijing's Central Axis comes alive with light.

From Yongding Gate to the Temple of Heaven, and from the Tiananmen rostrum to the Bell and Drum Towers, the city's ancient spine gleams softly under a new glow. It is a dialogue between the past and the present, between stone and light.

What shimmers along this 7.8-kilometer stretch is not just an aesthetic spectacle. It is a vivid metaphor of China's ongoing journey of cultural confidence and sustainable modernization.

During the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period, Beijing plans a comprehensive upgrade of its landmark lighting system. The initiative will enhance 15 heritage sites along the Central Axis, establish a "chessboard light grid" across key districts, and improve the city's overall nighttime aesthetic.

Beyond beautifying the city, Beijing aims to make its days and nights equally vibrant. By integrating lighting with culture, tourism and commerce, the city seeks to energize the nighttime economy and inject new momentum into its ambition of becoming an international consumption hub.

Culture shines, and so does the economy

Seen from space, the glow of Earth mirrors the pulse of human vitality.

In China, the lights that illuminate ancient landmarks signify far more than electricity. They reveal the heartbeat of a thriving cultural economy. Nighttime culture and tourism have become a major growth engine.

Visitors stroll around the illuminated Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Westward in Xi'an, the Tang Dynasty-themed block around an over 1,300-year-old Dayan Pagoda dazzles with performances, open-air shows and bustling night bazaars. Along the Yangtze River in Wuhan, the legendary Yellow Crane Tower shines brightly and serves as a backdrop for vibrant cultural events. Notably, during the 2025 Spring Festival Gala, the American band OneRepublic performed "Counting Stars" in front of the brilliantly lit tower. The high-tech LED stage enhanced the spectacle, creating a memorable moment where heritage, technology and global culture intersect.

What glows on these nights is not extravagance, but a new rhythm of urban life that connects history, art and livelihood. Behind this radiance lies a deeper transformation. Cultural tourism, once dismissed as mere entertainment, has evolved into a cornerstone of China's development. It fuels domestic consumption, attracts international visitors, sparks innovation and enriches the spiritual life of citizens. In this sense, illuminating heritage sites becomes a metaphor for illuminating modern life itself.

The brighter, the greener

Still, some may ask: doesn't all this lighting consume enormous power? Isn't it at odds with sustainability?

In fact, the brighter China’s cities become, the greener they get.

Take Beijing's upgraded illumination as an example. The city is replacing outdated, power-hungry lights with efficient LED systems and intelligent controls that adjust brightness in real time. Indiscriminate spotlights blazing through the night are a thing of the past. Light is now deployed with precision, shining only where and when it is truly needed.

The electricity that powers these illuminations increasingly comes from green sources, the product of decades of foresight and careful planning. China's West-to-East Power Transmission project, launched under the 10th Five-Year Plan in 2000, laid the foundation for large-scale, cross-regional electricity transfer. By the 14th Five-Year Plan, it had been further expanded using ultra-high-voltage (UHV) technology, enabling even greater efficiency and reach. Today, this network channels electricity from wind farms in Inner Mongolia and hydropower plants along the upper Yellow River to Beijing and other northern regions.

This long-term investment is more than a technical feat. It is a major national project that strengthens energy security, supports economic growth and powers the everyday lives of millions. It is precisely because of these solid foundations – including decades of careful planning, robust grid infrastructure, and the steady implementation of Five-Year Plan goals – that Beijing can now bring its heritage sites to life at night. Ancient monuments can be illuminated, urban landscapes beautified, and public spaces energized, creating a vibrant cityscape where history, culture and modern life coexist.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, leading up to 2030, Beijing aims to make urban lighting smarter and greener. More than 80 percent of road lighting will feature intelligent controls, energy-saving products will be used in over 90 percent of installations, and overall lighting coverage will reach over 98 percent. The share of green electricity is also expected to rise significantly.

Every beam of light on Beijing's skyline will then carry photons born of sunshine, wind and flowing water, creating an ecosystem where technology, energy and aesthetics converge. This achievement stands as a testament to the enduring value of long-term planning and the benefits of a large-scale national endeavor for the people.

Lighting the way forward

The Central Axis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, embodies China's philosophy: preserving the old while embracing the new. Its nighttime revival reflects a broader transformation across the country, where culture and innovation advance hand in hand and modernization is defined not by erasure, but by renewal.

This philosophy is deeply rooted in the innovative spirit of Chinese civilization. As President Xi Jinping emphasized during the Meeting on Cultural Inheritance and Development on June 2, 2023, "Chinese civilization places stress on discarding the outdated in favor of the new and making progress on a daily basis. It embodies both profound depth and dynamic forward surges. Continuity doesn't mean being stagnant or inflexible; on the contrary, it represents a history marked by creativity-driven progress."

This spirit, which respects tradition while embracing innovation, reflects the dialectical unity of change and constancy, inheritance and development, and principle and creativity. It is both enduring and adaptive, woven into the very fabric of the nation and continuing to shape the contours of modern China.

It is this vision that underpins China's green and inclusive modernization, a model that refuses to choose between growth and sustainability or between tradition and progress. In this framework, the power of culture works hand in hand with technological innovation, and every beam of light reflects both ingenuity and cultural confidence.

A civilization illuminated

From the vantage of space, where astronauts once gazed down at the glowing networks of cities, the brightness of China today tells a story of vitality, confidence and care.

To light up a city is to give it a new heartbeat; to light up heritage is to make the past speak to the future. In Beijing, the illumination of the Central Axis turns the capital's night into an open museum, inviting the world to witness not only the beauty of its monuments but also the brilliance of its sustainable vision.

China's modernization, in the end, is not about chasing light for light's sake. It is about using light wisely, beautifully, and responsibly to connect people, inspire imagination, and share the glow of a civilization that is once again finding its way to shine.