Shougang industrial park, Ruhr area witness development process of human civilization

This photo taken on Aug. 16, 2023 shows a view of the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

From the Ruhr area in Germany to the Shougang industrial park in Beijing, one after another steel "giants" stand as witnesses to the development process of human civilization.

The Ruhr area in Germany is a significant industrial zone in Europe, once a coal and steel production hub for Germany. The Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen was one of the world's largest coal mines from the late 19th to the early 20th century. With Germany's transition in energy industry, the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex ceased operation completely in 1993. This exemplary modern industrial structure subsequently transformed into an arts and cultural center. In 2001, the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Founded in 1919, Shougang, meaning "capital steel" in the Chinese language, is an epitome of China's industrial history. Shougang has been relocated to the neighboring Hebei Province, where the steel conglomerate has built high-end and eco-friendly iron and steel production lines. In 2018, Shougang Park, the steel mill-turned cultural and sports complex in western Beijing, was included in the first batch of China's industrial heritage protection list. And it has also served as one of the venues for the China International Fair for Trade in Services.

A coke-oven plant is seen at the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany, Aug. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

People take an escalator transformed from a coal conveyor belt at the Ruhr Museum in the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany, Aug. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

This photo taken on Aug. 23, 2023 shows a view at the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

A tourist visits the Ruhr Museum at the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany, Aug. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

This photo taken on May 29, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the China Science Fiction Convention 2023 held at the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

This photo taken on May 14, 2023 shows people visiting a digital museum at the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

People visit the Ruhr Museum at the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany, Aug. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

This photo taken on Aug. 16, 2023 shows an escalator transformed from a coal conveyor belt at the Ruhr Museum in the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

Buildings are seen at the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany, Aug. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

This photo taken on Aug. 23, 2023 shows a shopping mall at the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

This photo taken on Sept. 5, 2022 shows the venue of 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Qi Xiaoyi)

This photo taken on Aug. 23, 2023 shows a view at the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

People visit a coke-oven plant in the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany, Aug. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

Tourists take electric sightseeing cars in the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany, Aug. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

A man rides bicycle in the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany, Aug. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

This photo taken on Aug. 16, 2023 shows an exterior view of Ruhr Museum in the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex in Essen, Germany. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

This photo taken on Aug. 23, 2023 shows a view at the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

This file photo taken on Sept. 17, 2012 shows people watching night view during a light festival at the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)

This photo taken on July 30, 2021 shows the International Center for Digital Creativity inside the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

This photo taken on Aug. 23, 2023 shows the Big Air Shougang in the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)