Shining with emerald parks and dazzling beaches, a city in northern China stretches its reach to the aureate coastline. Underwater, a robot accelerates its way through shoals of fish to capture underwater footage, while its counterparts on shore are busy cooking and serving food for human customers.

This sci-fi transformation is underway in Binhai New Area in Tianjin. Once a barren alkaline land, the region has now turned into a pivotal tech hub, offering smart solutions and an eco-friendly lifestyle for its 3 million residents from both China and abroad.

Located at the intersection of Bohai Bay economic rim and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, Binhai New Area is the first free trade pilot zone in northern China, as well as a national innovation demonstration zone. By the end of May, a total of 229,217 enterprises has settled in the region, attracting over 23.9 billion yuan ($3.4 billion) in domestic investment.

"For the development of Binhai New Area, technological innovation and green lifestyle are the priority. We aim to build a smart city for all, so that people can share the benefits of technological advancement, and enjoy the beauty of nature at the same time," Zheng Yi, general manager of the Tianjin Binhai-Zhongguancun Science Park operation service company, told People's Daily Online.