North Weapons City

North Weapons City

North Weapons City is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, as well as a base for science education, patriotic education, and national defense education.

North Weapons City is a distinctive tourist attraction jointly invested in and developed by China North Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO) Inner Mongolia North Heavy Industries Group Co., Ltd. It integrates national defense, science education, environmental protection, patriotic education, weapons exhibitions, military industry culture dissemination, and leisure entertainment. It is a national industrial tourism demonstration site, located in Baotou, one of China’s first National Civilized Cities and an Outstanding Tourism City.

The scenic area covers a total area of 198,000 square meters and consists of two parts: the ground-based conventional heavy weapons exhibition area and the underground conventional light weapons exhibition area.

The ground-based conventional heavy weapons exhibition area is a key component of the Weapons City. Currently, it displays over 30 pieces of representative land, sea, and air weaponry. These include artillery pieces from the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War, the “First Cannon of the Republic” which was inspected by Chairman Mao Zedong during the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, the Hongqi II missile—a high-end weapon from the 1960s that shot down American U-2 spy planes multiple times, the “Double 57 Naval Gun” which played a significant role in the Battle of the Paracel Islands, the 120mm self-propelled anti-tank gun—the nemesis of modern tanks—which was inspected by the President during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the nation. Other displays include the Double “57” self-propelled guns, amphibious tanks, 203mm towed artillery, and more. The Visitor Center features an exhibition on Wu Yunduo, known as “China’s Paul”—a legendary figure in China’s munitions industry. In the second scenic area, there is a cast bronze “Three Harmonies Wall” (symbolizing Harmony, Unity, and Nuclear Power) with a diameter of 3.6 meters and weighing 19.6 tons, showcasing the corporate culture built on “Harmony” over the past fifty-plus years by North Heavy Industries Group. Along both sides of the 10,000-meter-long stream, there are stone carvings depicting the Thirty-Six Stratagems, allowing visitors to enjoy the wisdom of Sun Tzu’s Art of War while relaxing.

The underground conventional light weapons exhibition area of the Weapons City showcases a selection of real firearms, models, and images from modern and contemporary times. It also includes hands-on shooting ranges for pistols and machine guns. Visitors participating in the industrial tour can also visit the group company’s civilian product production lines and watch live artillery firing demonstrations.

Visitors to North Weapons City can not only observe and learn about artillery knowledge and take commemorative photos, but also engage in hands-on experiences, enhancing participation and increasing interest. This offers both domestic and international tourists not only a view of Inner Mongolia’s blue skies, white clouds, and vast grasslands, but also insight into its modern weapons industry.