A car factory turns into the newest and most famous tourist destination in Beijing

Tens of thousands of people in China compete monthly on the Internet for a rare opportunity to visit a car factory located on the outskirts of Beijing. Stephen Jiang of Ofoq News explores Xiaomi's massive factory, which is said to be the size of the Forbidden City.

Inside the factory, which is powered almost entirely by robots, hundreds of robotic arms and machines can be seen casting, pressing and assembling car bodies, producing a new car almost every minute. Just two years ago, Xiaomi was mainly known for making phones.

Now it sells about half a million electric cars annually, becoming a major player in the world's largest electric car market. This growth is part of the narrative that not only Xiaomi is promoting, but also that the Chinese government is seeking to highlight, at a time when China continues its huge investments in technology and innovation, while experts believe that the country is already at the forefront of areas such as advanced manufacturing.

That's why locals and visitors alike flock to this place to snap selfies, but it's also associated with a great sense of national pride, as well as enthusiastic parents seeking to encourage their children to study STEM fields.