In the late 1950s, Daqing was little more than a frozen expanse in Heilongjiang Province, its name synonymous with hardship. Then, in 1959, drillers struck oil—transforming this "Great Celebration" (the literal meaning of Daqing) into the beating heart of China’s industrial rise. For decades, the city fueled the nation’s growth, its derricks pumping prosperity into a resource-hungry economy.
The legend of Wang Jinxi, the "Iron Man" of Daqing, became Communist Party lore. His famous cry—"宁可少活二十年，拼命也要拿下大油田" (Rather sacrifice 20 years of my life than delay the oilfield’s development)—epitomized the grit that built modern China. But today, as climate change reshapes global priorities, Daqing’s identity faces existential questions. Can a city born from fossil fuels reinvent itself?
Daqing’s output has declined since its 1976 peak, with reserves dwindling to 3 billion tons. Yet China’s dual goals—energy security and carbon neutrality by 2060—place Daqing in a paradox. Local officials now speak of "transition," but for 1.5 million residents, oil isn’t just an industry; it’s cultural DNA.
Abandoned pumpjacks dot the grasslands like metallic gravestones. Meanwhile, the city experiments with renewables: solar farms creep across former drill sites, and hydrogen pilot projects tout "clean oil." Critics call it greenwashing, but Daqing’s mayor insists: "We’re writing a new Tie Ren Jing Shen (Iron Man Spirit) for the green era."
Heilongjiang’s border with Russia looms large. With Western sanctions redirecting Russian crude eastward, Daqing’s refineries process record imports. The China-Russia East-Route Natural Gas Pipeline, terminating here, makes the city a linchpin in Beijing’s energy chessboard.
Daqing’s logistics parks now stockpile Siberian timber and Kazakh wheat, feeding China’s inland markets. Yet this connectivity has a dark edge: U.S. sanctions on Russian-linked entities occasionally ensnare local businesses. "We’re pawns in a game we didn’t choose," laments a refinery manager.
State-owned PetroChina has shed 40,000 Daqing jobs since 2014. Many displaced workers retrain as wind turbine technicians—when subsidies allow. Others join the bei piao (northern drifters), migrating south for gig work. "My father drilled oil; I deliver packages," says Li Wei, 28.
With youth exodus, Daqing’s aging population strains social services. Primary schools repurpose as elder-care centers, their playgrounds silent. Yet the Party’s propaganda touts "vibrant silver industries," like ice tourism for retirees.
The Daqing Oilfield Exhibition Hall, a shrine to 1960s glory, now competes with "Red Tourism." Visitors pose beside replica drill rigs, snapping selfies for Douyin. Meanwhile, tech startups in the "Daqing Innovation Hub" work on carbon capture—funded by oil revenues.
Even cuisine tells the story. Local eateries serve you cha (oil tea), a salty brew once fueled laborers. Today, it’s a nostalgic novelty for tourists. "The young prefer bubble tea," sighs a third-generation café owner.
Heilongjiang’s warming rate doubles the global average. Melting permafrost buckles Daqing’s pipelines, while erratic rains flood soybean fields. Scientists warn the region could become uninhabitable by 2100—a cruel twist for a city that powered the very emissions now threatening it.
Farmers near Zhaozhou County now lease land to solar companies, becoming accidental energy workers. "The sun feeds us more reliably than the soil now," says one, squinting at photovoltaic panels where corn once grew.
State media celebrates Daqing’s "high-quality development," showcasing robotic oil wells and AI monitoring. But grassroots cadres confess off-record: "Without oil money, how do we maintain stability?" The 2023 "Daqing Model" initiative promises diversification—yet 78% of local taxes still come from fossil fuels.
At the Daqing Railway Station, billboards advertise "The Future Energy Capital." The trains, however, tell another story: nightly sleeper cars packed with migrants heading to Shenzhen. As the wheels clatter southward, they carry away more than people—they carry Daqing’s fading dreams.