The city of Jinjiang, nicknamed the 'Brand Capital' of China, combines its strong industrial tradition with the opulence of the Maritime Silk Road culture, traditional Minnan architecture, and the legacy of overseas Chinese.
The city of Jinjiang, nicknamed the 'Brand Capital' of China, combines its strong industrial tradition with the opulence of the Maritime Silk Road culture, traditional Minnan architecture, and the legacy of overseas Chinese.
In the vicinity, Xunpu has established itself as a culturally relevant tourist spot, notable for its emblematic hair flower tradition, its historic Minnan houses, and the atmosphere of a coastal fishing community.
Against this backdrop, Super Jinjiang opened its first experimental concept store in Xunpu. This venture was conceived from Jinjiang's footwear and apparel industry, bringing together regional brands, design elements, and cultural experiences.
The project establishes a structure that links the sectors of manufacturing, culture, and tourism while promoting the identity of the 'Made in Jinjiang' concept.
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.
For over a thousand years, Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea, has been revered by coastal communities whose lives are closely tied to the ocean. The culture of Mazu has spread along ancient maritime trade routes from China to Southeast Asia.
This cult has transformed into a shared cultural heritage reflected in temples, traditions, and daily life throughout the region.
