An aerial view of the Urban Living Room, a major function zone in Huairou Science City, which is an hour's drive from central Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

It was in May 2017 that a sparsely populated suburb dotted with farmland received approval to be developed into a global high-tech and innovation hub named Huairou Science City, an hour's drive from central Beijing.

Seven years later, it is home to more than 37 science facilities, including six major national scientific and technological ones, a key project to drive important scientific innovations.

It is now one of the most densely packed areas for groundbreaking scientific research.

Not only that, Huairou Science City has attracted over 23,000 leading researchers, including 77 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 28 highly cited international scientists, and over 600 foreign experts.

This quick transformation is part of Beijing's broader efforts to develop a lively science center that integrates basic science and research, scientific and technological services, to drive the country's innovative development on the global stage.

Huairou Science City is also one of the four science centers outlined in China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for national economic and social development and long-range objectives through the year 2035.