In Xi'an, Mayors from Around the World Explore Pathways for Silk Road Cities to Balance Ancient Heritage with Modern Industry
XI'AN, China, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue•Xi'an officially kicked off, bringing mayors from multiple countries gathered in Xi'an, China, the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. Under the theme "Starting Point of the Ancient Silk Road and Harmonious Coexistence: Technology and Culture Empowering Sustainable Urban Development," the three-day event combined roundtable discussions, immersive cultural experiences with in-depth site visits. By bringing participants to the frontlines of smart city operations, advanced manufacturing facilities, and world heritage sites, the program provides a firsthand look at how digital technologies are reshaping urban governance and driving industrial transformation.
Their itinerary ranged from the Chang'an Cloud complex, home to the Xi'an Science and Technology Museum and Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, which showcases the city's scaled technological innovation and advanced hard-tech manufacturing — to the Grand Tang Mall, where a performer dressed as the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai engaged visitors in improvised verse, offering a stylized glimpse of Tang-era culture through contemporary staging.
In Xi'an, history has not been set aside — it is woven into the daily rhythm of the city. Participants visited one of the world's largest and best-preserved ancient city walls located in Xi'an, now safeguarded by modern monitoring systems. More than 3,000 sensors and AI-powered algorithms track the condition of individual bricks in real time, supporting the preservation of the 1,400-year-old structure.
Beyond its cultural heritage, Xi'an is also expanding its industrial base. At Geely Xi'an Intelligent Manufacturing Plant, 934 robots assemble vehicles at near one-minute intervals, with production running efficiently without on-site illumination. The city's high-tech sectors also extend to photonics and medical equipment, with locally developed technologies increasingly reaching international markets.
As an inland city, Xi'an has leveraged the China-Europe Railway Express to position itself as a logistics hub linking Asia and Europe. In 2025, the Xi'an rail terminal handled more than 6,000 freight trains.
The delegation also examined how digital systems are applied across infrastructure, public services, and cultural production, integrating modern technology into a historic urban environment. The event concluded with the release of the Global Mayors Dialogue - Xi'an Consensus on Silk Road Urban Development. For participants, Xi'an illustrated how a historic starting point of the Silk Road is evolving into an active hub in global trade.
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