The ZData Center in Yanggao county, Datong. [Photo/Datong Daily]

Datong, known for its coal production, is undergoing a significant transformation into a digital powerhouse. Over the past five years, the city has focused on becoming a key data service hub for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

This ambitious effort includes developing a data annotation base, enhancing digital infrastructure, and cultivating a robust digital industry ecosystem.

A prime example of this transformation is the ZData Center in Yanggao county, which provides crucial computing power to support cutting-edge fields such as quantum communication, artificial intelligence, and autonomous driving within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Datong has introduced several policy documents, including the "Three-Year Action Plan for Data Industry Development," alongside measures to boost employment in the artificial intelligence sector.

These initiatives have attracted major projects from leading companies such as China Data, JD Intelligent Computing Power Data Center, and Douyin Volcano Cloud Taihang Computing Power Center.

These projects, together with a focus on server manufacturing, new energy development, data annotation, artificial intelligence, and data resources, have established a comprehensive upstream and downstream industrial chain.

By 2024, Datong's core digital economy industries had achieved an added value of 6.61 billion yuan ($929.40 million), a 10 percent year-on-year increase and accounting for 3.7 percent of the city's GDP.

The city has established a data annotation technology innovation platform that spans seven key industries with 316 high-quality datasets. This initiative has attracted nearly 70 data companies and created employment for over 30,000 people.

In May 2025, the Datong Vocational College of Data Technology was established. The college partners with 11 local institutions to set up training bases, adopting a model that helps students adapt more effectively to the workforce.