There are places in the world that emerge long before you arrive, and Shanghai is one of them. Before arriving, I had formed an image in my mind based on films, newspaper headlines, and social media videos: glass skyscrapers, neon lights, relentless energy, and the future.
However, my first look at mainland China was completely different. Despite numerous visits to Hong Kong, I had never visited mainland China, so I arrived with a mix of curiosity and slight apprehension. The immigration process was surprisingly efficient, luggage appeared with military precision, and soon I was moving through nighttime Shanghai towards Changshu.
Unfortunately, it was pitch black outside, so the journey could have been through Shanghai, or the automotive corridors of Stuttgart, Solihull, or Changchun—who knows. My driver, despite the late hour, was cheerful and shared thoughts about the difficult years of the Covid pandemic, which deeply affected China, before dropping me off at the Garrya Yangcheng Lake Hotel—a beautiful lakeside resort, so tranquil it resembled a place for monks recovering from burnout.
The first sign that I was not in Solihull came moments later. Small robots, very similar to miniature versions of R2-D2 from Star Wars, quietly moved through the corridors, delivering room service. They never complained, asked for tips, and somehow avoided every guest with a frightening confidence that hinted that humanity might be living in rented time.
This became my first encounter with a recurring theme over the next 48 hours: technology performing outstanding things discreetly. The reason for my visit was far more exciting than robotic room service. Together with a small group of journalists from the Middle East, I was invited by the Freelander team for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the company ahead of the launch of the new Freelander 8 in the Middle East later this year.
After the inevitable ceremonies, speeches, and photos accompanying such events, we reached the part everyone had truly come for. The factory. Or perhaps the word 'factory' does not convey the whole picture.
The Freelander superfactory feels less like an industrial facility and more like an entire city dedicated to vehicle production. With investments exceeding $3.1 billion, including significant upgrades for smart new energy vehicle manufacturing, it represents Jaguar Land Rover's first full-scale production base outside the UK, merging British engineering heritage with Chery's advanced manufacturing expertise.
It is impossible not to be impressed inside. Over 1,100 intelligent robots conduct an industrial ballet with astonishing precision. Massive robotic manipulators move effortlessly through the air, lifting doors, engines, chassis components, and body panels with the confidence of someone brewing tea. Sparks fly from the welding stations like fireworks, while conveyor systems silently transport partially assembled vehicles to the next stage of development.
It is strangely hypnotic. The human personnel are no less impressive. Hundreds of engineers and technicians work side-by-side with automation, not competing with it. Complex tools control tolerances measured in fractions of a millimeter, while teams equip the interiors with a level of care more characteristic of elite furniture than mass production.
This is not automation replacing craftsmanship. It is automation enhancing it. What struck me most was the tireless attention to detail. It seemed that every process was governed by a philosophy: if something could be measured, controlled, or improved, it probably already had been. Digital quality systems track every vehicle throughout production, and every Freelander 8 undergoes rigorous testing before leaving the plant. Rain simulations four times more intense than a natural storm, battery sealing tests, ADAS calibration, and electronic checks ensure that every vehicle is ready not just to leave China, but to function reliably, whether it ends up in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, or anywhere else in the world.
Equally impressive is the factory's sustainability program. Intelligent energy management, water recycling, and low-carbon manufacturing technologies are implemented throughout the site, emphasizing that modern production increasingly means balancing engineering excellence with environmental responsibility.
Perhaps the most encouraging takeaway was that this was not a carefully staged exhibition. We saw production as it actually happened. There were sparks, noise, unfinished vehicles, organized chaos, and thousands of individual processes working in harmony. It was a real look under the hood—if you forgive the inevitable car enthusiast cliché—at what is truly required to produce a modern premium vehicle.
By the time we left after several hours, the Freelander 8 had become more than just a new model preparing for the UAE market. It had become the product of thousands of people, millions of engineering solutions, and one extremely complex production ecosystem. And after spending the morning watching robots assemble cars with almost alarming certainty, and then taking the wheel for a test drive in the afternoon, it suddenly seemed completely different. You weren't just driving a new SUV. You were driving a remarkable sum of everything you had just seen.
In Guaruo City, which is known in China as the 'Lingerie City,' a significant part of the local economy is based on the business of producing bras, can-canes, and underwear. Millions of items are produced here annually and sent to both the domestic Chinese market and other countries.
At one factory in Guaruo, about 30-40 thousand padded bras and underwear are produced daily. Workers on the production line perform repetitive tasks: one employee completes their part of the work, and the item is passed to the next specialist for further processing.
Thousands of small and large factories operating in Guaruo are engaged in lingerie production. According to available data, approximately 350 million bras and 430 million can-canes and underwear are manufactured in the city each year. The city's industrial output is estimated to be 80 percent related to goods belonging to the lingerie industry.
The lingerie business is not limited to factories; advertisements for lingerie featuring models can be seen all over the city on large billboards. This is why local authorities call Guaruo the 'Lingerie City.' This industry is the main source of employment and income for thousands of people connected to this business directly or indirectly.
The history of lingerie production in Guaruo began around 1982. The growth of this industry was supported by investments coming from neighboring Hong Kong and Taiwan. Thanks to the city's location and relatively low labor costs, factories began to expand actively, especially between 1995 and 2005, allowing Guaruo to become a major industrial center.
The city's strength has turned into its main vulnerability, as the entire industry is concentrated in one sector. Any downturn in lingerie production or increased competition from other countries directly affects the entire city. Factory owners note a constant rise in production costs, but consumers are unwilling to pay significantly higher prices, which negatively impacts small and medium-sized enterprises.
Guaruo faces problems not only with the domestic market. Countries such as Thailand and Vietnam actively compete with China in lingerie production. In some cases, production in these countries is more profitable due to lower taxes and production costs. After 2008, some orders for mid-range and low-end lingerie began shifting from China to these countries, which reduced Guaruo's exports.
Despite China's rapid economic growth, many small industrial cities like Guaruo have failed to diversify their economies. The excessive dependence on the lingerie industry causes concern among residents. Many people leave for neighboring cities or other countries in search of better jobs and futures, while some factory owners close their businesses and leave the city.
The history of Guaruo reflects the situation in many Chinese cities where the entire local economy revolves around the production of one type of goods—be it plastic toys or textiles. These 'single-industry cities' played an important role in transforming China into a global manufacturing hub. However, their weakness lies in the fact that the appearance of another country in the market with cheap production can put pressure on the entire local economy.
Today, the whirring of sewing machines and mountains of lingerie can still be heard in Guaruo, but behind these millions of bras and underwear, the question arises: how much can the city transform given that its entire economy rests on one industry?
