Case Study: Road Landscape Lighting Project of Xinzhou Ancient City – Light Inherits the Millennium Charm of Northern Shanxi
1. Project Background
The 6th Shanxi Provincial Tourism Development Conference was successfully held in Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, China in 2020. With the theme of Splendid Ancient Civilization, Magnificent Scenery of Shanxi — The Great Wall Tour in Shanxi, the conference showcased the stunning natural scenery and profound historical culture of Xinzhou and the whole Shanxi Province.
As an important city in northern Shanxi, Xinzhou is famous for numerous cultural and tourist attractions, including Wutai Mountain and Yanmenguan Pass. Xinzhou Ancient City stands as the core urban symbol and top cultural tourism landmark of the region. To further promote local tourism and boost the night economy, the local government launched the road lighting renovation project around Xinzhou Ancient City. This key municipal project aims to build a night scene that integrates humanity, history and tourism experience, and it has received high attention from local authorities.
With 28 years of dedicated experience in outdoor landscape lighting, ESTAR Sanxing Lighting was entrusted to deliver the overall lighting design, customized luminaire development and on-site implementation. We provided a professional smart lighting solution to revitalize the night view of the ancient city.
2. Design Concept
Our design team conducted in-depth research on Xinzhou’s regional culture, ancient architectural features and long history. We avoided conventional and homogeneous lighting designs, and developed four exclusive customized luminaires based on four core themes: Historic Xinzhou, Characteristic Xinzhou, Charming Xinzhou and Ancient Rhythm Xinzhou.
Combining traditional Chinese aesthetics, ancient architectural elements and modern lighting technology, our design makes light more than a basic illumination tool. Every lamp is designed to tell the story of Xinzhou and carry forward local culture, achieving a perfect integration of light, architecture and humanistic spirit.
3. Introduction to Four Themed Custom Luminaires
Bright Light · Historic Xinzhou
Inspired by traditional Chinese lanterns, this luminaire pays tribute to Xinzhou’s long history. It features a concise and elegant appearance with customized printed lamp shades that highlight local folk customs. The soft and gentle light scatters along the roads, symbolizing the inheritance of Xinzhou’s splendid civilization. Walking under the lights, visitors can fully feel the profound history of this renowned military stronghold in northern Shanxi.
Flying Eave · Characteristic Xinzhou
This luminaire draws design inspiration from the bracket sets and flying eaves of Xinzhou Ancient City’s towers, which represent the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient Chinese architecture. With neat and smooth lines, it adopts silhouette art to restore the shape of ancient city buildings and present the unique regional features of Xinzhou. At night, the lamps set off the ancient towers, forming a picturesque night view exclusive to the ancient city.
Full Moon over Ancient City · Charming Xinzhou
Designed based on the full moon hanging over the ancient city walls, this luminaire stands for auspiciousness, reunion and perfection, implying the prosperous development of Xinzhou. The lamp body is embedded with the silhouette of Xinzhou Ancient City, and the lamp arm imitates the shape of ancient city eaves. With elegant classical style and poetic charm, the soft moonlight-like light fully displays the diverse landscapes and unique glamour of Xinzhou.
Chinese Elegance · Ancient Rhythm Xinzhou
Focusing on the 1,800-year-old charm of Xinzhou Ancient City, this luminaire takes traditional Chinese lanterns as the prototype. Classic Chinese window grilles are applied on the lamp pole, presenting an elegant antique style. Simple and exquisite, the luminaire fully interprets the ancient charm of old streets, alleys and temples in Xinzhou. Every light carries the beauty of traditional Chinese culture, allowing tourists to appreciate the ancient style of the city while wandering at night.
4. Project Outcomes & Value
After the completion of the renovation, the night environment around Xinzhou Ancient City has been greatly improved. The comfortable lighting environment enhances travel experience for both local residents and tourists. The four cultural-themed luminaires have become new visual landmarks of the ancient city, strongly driving the development of cultural tourism and night economy in Xinzhou.
Adhering to the brand philosophy of Light Up the City with Culture, ESTAR Sanxing Lighting has made this project a vivid practice of the cultural tourism concept of Travel in Shanxi, Learn about History. We take light as a brush and luminaires as carriers to explore the cultural essence of cities. With customized outdoor lighting solutions, we help cities and ancient towns show unique charm through light, and keep empowering the construction of night scenic spots for cultural tourism destinations worldwide.
5. Company Profile
Sanxing Lighting is a professional brand focusing on outdoor landscape lighting for 28 years. We provide one-stop comprehensive solutions for urban smart lighting. Our core business covers design, R&D, customization and construction for cultural landscape lighting, municipal road lighting and landmark lighting projects. We excel at creating differentiated lighting works combined with urban history and regional characteristics, and have served a large number of urban landmarks, scenic spots and municipal lighting projects at home and abroad.
