Yongding River Cluster: A New Signal for Beijing’s Urban Renewal

Yongding River Cluster: A New Signal for Beijing’s Urban Renewal.The Yongding River Cluster has become incredibly popular, even though it’s located outside the Fifth Ring Road in western Beijing. The crowds couldn’t be stopped, even during the National Day holiday. Much like its poetic name suggests, the project feels like it came with a script — along the banks of the Yongding River, beneath Shijingshan, it’s a powerful dialogue between industry and nature. The materials are light, the aesthetics are youthful, and the branding is modern, with a design and operational model that breaks away from traditional commercial logic, introducing an entirely new consumption scenario. Surprisingly, it took just 68 days to go from nothing to something, with its high visibility on social media proving that consumers have voted with their feet.From another perspective, the emergence of this project was no accident. It’s a small-scale experiment in urban “de-growth” amid the backdrop of city transformation, turning a former industrial waterfront into a “relaxed” waterside lounge. It’s also the culmination of the long-awaited potential of Beijing’s “Two Parks and One River” initiative.For a long time, the city’s commercial landscape seemed to be missing a certain “vacation feel,” prompting young people seeking escape from the urban hustle to drive hours to places like Anaya by the sea in the east or Tan Valley in the west.

The Yongding River Cluster has appeared to gently fill that missing piece, sending a signal that cities need both grand landmarks and small, beautiful pockets. Similarly, Beijing’s commercial innovation doesn’t always need to be a grand narrative—it can be light, specific, and human-centered, with breathing space and creativity.During this year’s National Day holiday, 800,000 people flocked to the site, and like the WTT, Shougang Park received unprecedented attention. This massive industrial heritage renewal project in Beijing is gradually becoming the stage for a new urban life. In addition to the sports events, industrial aesthetics, new commercial openings, and diverse activities, the most talked-about project has been the Yongding River Cluster. After all, there aren’t many places in Beijing where you can watch the sunset by the river and stroll through a market at the same time.The seemingly “magically” emerging Yongding River Cluster feels more like a micro-spatial practice in Shijingshan’s renewal, an innovative experiment in the west of the city—freely blending old and new, creating a vibrant new function for urban exploration around the city’s edge.Design Philosophy: Light Intervention, Heavy Extension.The first phase of the Yongding River Cluster spans about 5,000 square meters and includes 11 distinctive spaces and a series of expandable open areas.

The first impression it gives is “light.” The architecture seems to “float” above the ground, avoiding excessive design and letting nature permeate the space with a wild yet open and relaxed feel..From the beginning of the project, the functional layout and architectural design complemented each other. The 11 spaces along the river were designed with the principle of preserving as much of the natural surroundings as possible. They are independent yet blend together, each a concept space engaging in dialogue with nature. With features like origami-inspired art installations that reconstruct industrial relics, “open tents” with single-pitched roofs, and relaxed wooden cabins basking in the sunset, the spaces seem to merge seamlessly with the surrounding environment. Materials like wood, bamboo, and fabric contrast with industrial metals and glass, reflecting the past of Shougang Park and the present of the Yongding River.Content-Driven: Activated Spaces, Shifting Narratives.Currently, the Yongding River Cluster is divided into three main sections: New Creativity, New Lifestyle, and New Community, each with its own focus. These areas align with typical “business model placements,” but before the commercial content even landed, these settings were already established to match the scene and meet demand. Bookstores, coffee shops, camping, and cultural products are all naturally integrated into the architectural and design planning.

In the “New Creativity” section, you’ll find the Banana Fish bookstore, an independent shop from Shanghai making its first appearance in Beijing, with a 30-square-meter space that extends four directions and creates different thematic curations. This space fosters community activities and presents a relaxed, literary atmosphere by the riverside.In the “New Lifestyle” area, you’ll find premium lifestyle brands like Shan Chi, Super Plants, Cloud Down, FLOW IN, and NICE CREAM, all of which seamlessly blend with the outdoor environment. Shan Chi, a Shenzhen-based coffee brand, has quickly become one of the top coffee spots in Shijingshan, thanks to its outdoor vibe and wooden cabin design. Other brands, such as Camplus, HK WORKSHOP, and Shifter, focus on community-building and sports culture. These spaces aren’t just stores—they act as “content curators” that merge with the surrounding waterfront green trails, industrial relics, and sunset views.For visitors, the space provides a perfect place to relax, stroll, take photos, visit bookstores, enjoy coffee, and listen to podcasts. It’s an ideal spot to unwind and recharge, making shopping feel like a pleasant side activity. From a business perspective, it also serves as an experimental ground for out-of-town brands entering Beijing, while providing a new platform for local, high-quality brands.

A “Micro-Vacation” Without Leaving BeijingThe success of the Yongding River Cluster stems from its understanding of Beijing’s young people’s desire for “relaxation” and its amplification of the ecological advantages of the western city area. Shijingshan, one of Beijing’s “Six City Districts,” offers a rare combination of mountains and water close to the urban core—making the timing of the Yongding River Cluster’s appearance just right. There’s no need to travel far. People can take their pets to run along the river, lie on the grass, and casually stroll through the market—all without leaving the city.The Power of Government Support and Collaborative Innovation.The rapid development of this waterfront oasis also owes much to its timing and location. The natural ecological advantages of the Yongding River, combined with the industrial landscape of Shougang Park, form the basis for the contrast in content. Moreover, its realization is heavily backed by policy support and government involvement. The 2025 “Two Parks and One River” development plan has already laid the groundwork for transforming this area into a space where nature and urban vitality harmoniously coexist. The emergence of the Yongding River Cluster marks a visual representation of this vision, offering a new model for future projects along the riverbanks.As for Shijingshan, it needed a “hotspot” to activate the industrial remnants and draw people in. The Yongding River Cluster has filled that gap. This successful implementation, with its attention to detail and unified vision, exemplifies how the area is becoming a model for high-quality, innovative urban development.