Beijing's southern suburbs emerge as new growth engine

Beijing's southern suburbs of Fengtai, Daxing, Fangshan, and Yizhuang have undergone rapid transformation during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period, driven by successive action plans.

In the first four years of the period, the region's GDP grew by more than 285.7 billion yuan ($40.4 billion), a 51.3% increase from the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan, marking its rise from a long-standing development backwater to a growth engine for the capital.

Industrial upgrading has been the key driver. Average annual investment in major projects exceeded 100 billion yuan during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with industrial investment accounting for more than 50%.

Six industrial clusters have reached 100 billion yuan in annual output, including high-end automobiles, aerospace, and biomedicine. The area now hosts more than 75% of China's private commercial rocket companies. Two more clusters — information technology innovation and robotics manufacturing — are expected to reach that threshold by year-end, bringing the total to eight. Meanwhile, signature projects like Beijing Rocket Street and Aerospace Street are advancing rapidly.

Living standards have improved significantly. Since 2021, the southern suburbs have added or begun construction on more than 33,000 primary and secondary school places, with high-quality education resources such as Beijing No. 4 Experimental School being established.

Medical services have also expanded, with Peking University First Hospital's Daxing branch now operational and more than 8,000 hospital beds completed or under construction.

Urban quality has been comprehensively upgraded. Nanyuan Forest and Wetland Park has welcomed more than 1.8 million visitors this year since opening. 

Urban renewal has revitalized the Dahongmen area, creating new commercial landmarks such as JD.com Mall, while more than 500 enterprises have settled in the South Central Axis International Cultural and Technological Park. 

Regional connectivity has improved with the opening of subway lines 14 and 16 and the completion of major links, including the Beijing-Xiong'an Expressway and the Tianjin-Xingtai Intercity Railway.