LICHUAN THERMOMETER TOWER

Lichuan · 《凉城温度计》 (a small urban landmark)

One chimney's urban renewal — from smoking to glowing

Industrial heritage retrofitUrban renewalPoint-based renewalNight economy

01Background: from backbone to burden

In 1982 the Lichuan tobacco re-curing plant lit its first furnace. By 1986 it accounted for 65.7% of the city's total industrial output — 6.5 of every 10 yuan came from here. It was the economic pillar of this small mountain town, its source of jobs and, for a generation, its livelihood.

After industrial restructuring the chimney went cold and the workshops stood idle: the backbone became a burden. Retrofit began in 2024 — no demolition, no relocation, just light redefining it.

02Method: point-based renewal

Minimal intervention — no change to the structure, no damage to the historic fabric; inserting a lighting system is enough to complete the functional conversion.
Functional conversion — from a "space of production" to a "space of expression": expressing the city's temperature (Lichuan is known as "China's cool city", with a summer average of 22.1 °C), public sentiment (scan a code to send a blessing) and cultural content (music-and-light shows, festival themes).
One point activates a whole line — a single chimney energises the entire riverside night-tour route.
Commercially sustainable — festival ceremonies, solar-term reminders, public-interest messaging and commercial advertising; advertising revenue funds long-term upkeep.

《凉城温度计》 · QR interaction — 《龙船调》
a local song sung on site

《凉城温度计》 · local coordinates — Local coordinates on display · photo spot

《凉城温度计》 · switch-on at sunset — Switch-on at sunset

《凉城温度计》 · warm silhouette — Light show 《破土》nature heals from within

《凉城温度计》 · from the riverbank — 《烟囱里的海》
a moment of quiet

《凉城温度计》 · night panorama — Night panorama

《凉城温度计》 · 《钢铁洪流进行曲》 — Light show · 《钢铁洪流进行曲》

03Personification: capability built in

Already delivered: a basic visitor interaction layer — scan a code to draw a fortune, send a confession or a birthday surprise; the wishes fly up into the night sky.

Expandable: give the landmark a brain (AI interaction), ears (directional microphones that can hear visitors) and a voice (loudspeakers that can answer); its lighting programming and content are its own emotional expression.

Lit in 30 days — a textbook sample of our productised service model. The retrofit ran ahead of three national policy documents: by the time the urban renewal plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period and industrial-heritage protection policies were issued in succession, this chimney had already been glowing for nearly a year.

04Results

90%

Merchant occupancy in the plant district (after retrofit)

30 days

From start to switch-on

38 m

Red-brick chimney becomes a city landmark

22.1 °C

Lichuan's summer average — a city brand, "measured"

A county-level renewal practice that ran ahead of policy — the project was already lit for nearly a year before three national documents were issued.
Aligned with the 15th Five-Year Plan direction of upgrading and increasing the value of existing urban assets: no wholesale demolition, the smallest intervention for the greatest value.
From a "space of production" to a "space of expression" — one chimney activates the whole riverside night-tour route.

Testimonials

What people say

Public comments from local government, the client, the contractor, residents and businesses at the project site.

I used to walk around this place. Now I often bring friends here to eat and take photos — it has become Lichuan's new calling card.

Ms. YAO (姚女士)Lichuan residentJingcai.cn / Yunshang Enshi

Urban renewal is not simply tearing down and starting over — it means innovating while carrying heritage forward.

Official, Lichuan Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau (利川市住建局相关负责人)Ibid.

The light show is the highlight — the light wraps the chimney in a ring and shifts through different forms to showcase what makes Lichuan Lichuan.

DU Yijun (杜毅军)Project lead, Liangli Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.Hubei Daily app

Foot traffic has clearly increased and more people are coming in to eat — a genuine win-win for the businesses along the street.

YANG Fen (杨芬)Shop manager, Re-curing Plant Food Street (8 years in business)Lichuan Municipal Government, 2026-07-16

That old chimney is now the calling card of Lichuan's thermometer.

WANG Yu (汪玉)General manager, Hubei Hongsheng Enterprise Management Services Co., Ltd.Ibid.

This used to be an abandoned football pitch. We put up netting so that more people who love the game can come and feel what football is about.

YANG Shaoxun (杨绍勋)Head coach, Lichuan 5+ Football ClubIbid.

When it smoked, it was Lichuan's livelihood.

When it glows, it is Lichuan's pride.

A generation's memory, a city's light.

NEXT CASE Lichuan · light show 《龙船春韵》
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