Track No. 28 · Shili Huagang Scenic Area

28号铁轨·十里花廊景区

【Guangxi’s Most Beautiful Railway—Shili Huagang】The “Century-old Mine Shili Huagang” sightseeing railway project in Heshan City utilizes entirely abandoned rail lines, spanning a total length of approximately 7 kilometers, with a designed width of about 6 meters and a total area of around 42,000 square meters. The estimated investment is about 10 million yuan. Stretching from the Guzhang intersection on the Xinhe Second-Class Road in the south to the Dongkuang coal platform in the north, various flowers, plants, and trees will be planted along both sides of the railway, creating a “Shili Huagang” (Ten-Mile Flower Corridor) along the tracks.

Heshan has a century-long history of coal mining and is home to Guangxi’s first coal mining enterprise—the Heshan Mining Bureau. There was a time when Heshan Railway Station transformed the barren land into bustling activity, transporting Heshan’s coal, lively fish from the Hongshui River, fresh agricultural products, finely crafted plywood, and exquisitely shaped rocks across the country, bringing rewards to the industrious people of Heshan.

“When the train whistle blows, gold worth ten thousand taels flows.” The train gifted this small city with history and prosperity. However, with the passage of time and urban development, skyscrapers have risen one after another, and expressways have spread in all directions.

After over a hundred years of mining, the once-sleeping railway witnessed the near exhaustion of Heshan’s coal resources. In 2009, Heshan City was designated as a resource-depleted city. Thousands of employees were laid off, and the local economy plunged into an unprecedented crisis.

As a result, the winding railway branches—no one knows exactly in which year, month, or day—began to fall asleep, some even gradually fading from public view due to disuse and abandonment.

The railway station bid farewell in a mood of nostalgia, marking the end of an era. Can future Heshan retain a section of wooden-sleeper tracks so that time can pause for a moment? Why must we always “use and discard”?

Every era can luckily leave behind some traces. Perhaps many years later, just as people lament how most things related to the past have quietly exited the stage of history, they may suddenly discover that some weighty symbols—like Heshan’s old, discarded railways—stubbornly remain, becoming unique clues and memories of that time.

Heshan Shili Huagang: A Dreamlike Journey Along the Railway

After getting tired of the hustle and bustle, nothing beats the charm of simplicity. Heshan boasts Guangxi’s first narrow-gauge railway, with 28 kilometers of developable railway resources. With such exceptional resources, what can we do with them?

The “Century-old Mine Shili Huagang” sightseeing railway project in Heshan City utilizes entirely abandoned rail lines, spanning a total length of approximately 7 kilometers, with a designed width of about 6 meters and a total area of around 42,000 square meters. The estimated investment is about 10 million yuan. Stretching from the Guzhang intersection on the Xinhe Second-Class Road in the south to the Dongkuang coal platform in the north, various flowers, plants, and trees will be planted along both sides of the railway, creating a “Shili Huagang” (Ten-Mile Flower Corridor) along the tracks.

Heshan City has set its transformation priority on developing industrial tourism, leveraging the city’s rich heritage of a century-old mine and industrial culture to create an eco-tourism city with a distinctive mining culture character.

Guided by considerations of environmental protection and resource reuse, the builders and construction workers repurposed abandoned railway resources, using only materials salvaged from retired railways and trains. This not only significantly reduced construction costs but also preserved authentic railway elements, allowing these weathered relics to narrate the growth story of Heshan’s railways in vivid detail. This approach holds great value and significance.

In 2015, the Guangxi (Heshan) Industrial Tourism Festival will be held in Heshan City, known as the “City of Light and Heat.” Visitors will be able to experience up close the unique history of Guangxi’s coal and electricity industry development over the past 100 years, as well as the poetic romance of the “Shili Huagang Sightseeing Railway.”

On this route, visitors ride bicycles through tunnels, scrolling through their phones while pedaling—a leisurely and relaxing experience. Railway bikes offer low resistance, making them suitable for riders of all ages.