Shougang Motorsport Valley Circuit

Shougang Motorsport Valley Circuit at a glance

Location

Qinhuangdao, Hebei

Type

road course

Length

3.8 km (2.361 mi)

Surface

asphalt

Opened

2018

Owner

Shougang Shouqin Company

Address

Former Shouqin steelworks site, Hebei Qinhuangdao National Geology Park area, north of the city via the S251

Track map and layout

Shougang Motorsport Valley is a 3.8 km (2.361 mi), FIA Grade 2 permanent road course built on the site of a former steelworks operated by Shougang Shouqin, a subsidiary of the Capital Steel (Shougang) group, on the outskirts of Qinhuangdao in Hebei province. The circuit was designed by Dr Yao Qiming, reportedly the only track designer certified by the FIA working in China, and was built in around four months after the steel plant closed in June 2018, as part of a wider push to convert the site into a tourism and motorsport destination. Note: this venue should not be confused with Shougang Park in Beijing's Shijingshan district, the former main Capital Steel plant that now hosts Olympic and esports venues but not this racing circuit.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

The circuit opened with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Racing Festival and the Qinhuangdao GT Carnival in November 2018, and went on to host the Chinese Formula 4 Championship for the first time in August 2019, followed by rounds of the China GT Championship in subsequent years. It is one of the newer FIA Grade 2 facilities in northern China built specifically to bring international-standard racing to the Hebei region.

Getting there and parking

The circuit is on the outskirts of Qinhuangdao, a coastal city in Hebei province reached by high-speed rail from Beijing in around two hours; from the city, visitors head north on the S251 provincial road to the circuit, which sits in the foothills near the Hebei Qinhuangdao National Geology Park.

• Qinhuangdao Beidaihe Airport (BPE)

Qinhuangdao is a well-known seaside city and can be combined with a visit to the nearby Beidaihe resort area; travelling by high-speed rail from Beijing is usually more convenient than flying.

Hotels and camping near Shougang Motorsport Valley Circuit

Qinhuangdao is an established seaside tourist city with a wide range of hotels, especially around its Beidaihe and Nandaihe beach districts, both a drive from the circuit in the hills to the city's north; there is no dedicated trackside hotel, camping or RV facility documented at the circuit itself.

Where to look

Beidaihe or Nandaihe beach districts for resort-style stays; central Qinhuangdao for a more urban base closer to the rail station.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

The site includes a large karting complex (built into former Shouqin logistics warehouses) with indoor and outdoor tracks open to the public year-round, in addition to the FIA Grade 2 road course used for national championship racing; specific public track-day access to the main circuit itself is not clearly documented in available sources.

Spectator guide

As a purpose-built Grade 2 facility, the circuit has grandstand and paddock infrastructure suited to hosting national championship rounds, though detailed seating names and ticketing information are not documented in available English-language sources; visitors should check directly with the circuit or China GT for event-specific details.

Weather

• Jun-Aug: warm, highs around 27-29°C, moderated by the coastal location
• Dec-Feb: cold, highs around 0-2°C

History of Shougang Motorsport Valley Circuit

From steelworks to racetrack

Shougang Motorsport Valley was built on the former site of Shougang Shouqin, a Qinhuangdao-based subsidiary of the giant Capital Steel (Shougang) group, after the steel plant there closed in June 2018. Rather than demolishing the industrial site outright, local authorities and the Shouqin company converted it into a motorsport and tourism precinct, with the 3.8 km, FIA Grade 2 road course designed by Dr Yao Qiming, said to be the only FIA-certified track designer working in China at the time, and built in just four months.

A quick opening and rapid rise

The circuit opened in November 2018 with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Racing Festival and the Qinhuangdao GT Carnival, immediately establishing itself as a venue for regional and national motorsport in Hebei province. Its Grade 2 FIA certification allowed it to move quickly up the ladder of Chinese circuits, hosting the Chinese Formula 4 Championship for the first time in August 2019 and going on to host rounds of the China GT Championship in the seasons that followed.

A karting and tourism complex around the circuit

Beyond the main road course, the wider Shougang Motorsport Valley site includes one of China's largest karting complexes, built into the former plant's logistics warehouses, with multiple indoor tracks (including drift and children's circuits) alongside an outdoor FIA-certified karting layout, reflecting the site's dual role as both a national-level racing venue and a public motorsport-tourism attraction on China's northern coast. It should not be confused with the unrelated Shougang Park in Beijing's Shijingshan district, the former headquarters plant of the same Capital Steel group, which has been redeveloped as an Olympic and esports precinct without a racing circuit of its own.

Frequently asked questions