Hohhot is harnessing its natural advantages and policy momentum to cultivate a thriving digital economy. The city's ambition has found fertile ground in Helingeer New District, now known as "China Cloud Valley", a strategic hub in the national "East Data, West Computing" initiative.

With an average annual temperature of 7.7 C and green electricity priced at just 0.32 yuan ($0.04)/kilowatt-hour, Helingeer's data centers operate at 30 percent lower costs compared to those in eastern China. This efficiency is attracting leading enterprises, with 77 ongoing projects, including those of the Agricultural Bank of China and Huawei, that have resumed full-scale construction, as well as 34 new projects that have broken ground.

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the district recorded 4.35 billion yuan in investment, a 127.2 percent year-on-year increase. Citywide, Hohhot's total computing power has surpassed 67,000 petaflops, with 95 percent categorized as intelligent computing.

The city's ecosystem is expanding rapidly. Over 260 digital economy projects have been signed, totaling 231.9 billion yuan in investment. The city is also fostering innovation through a robust AI chain, featuring 11 large models including Huawei's Pangu, a 100-billion-level data labeling base, and an integrated platform aggregating 12.8 billion data entries from 45 departments.

Infrastructure and market reforms in Hohhot are advancing in tandem. Its multi-cloud computing monitoring platform and "P4" grade data application lab are now operational, while cross-regional computing platforms have connected Hohhot with Beijing, Shanghai, and other locations. A new 36.93 million yuan transaction also marked the city's first interregional computing power trade.

From AI-powered public services to smart agriculture and remote medical care, digital applications are already transforming daily life. As innovation and green energy converge, Hohhot is becoming a model for sustainable, intelligent development in North China.