China on Friday officially put into operation its first high-altitude, cavern-based intelligent computing center at the Lianghekou Hydropower Station in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The project is considered as an innovative practice integrating the nation's "Eastern Data, Western Computing" initiative with clean energy development.
It is powered not only by the world's largest and highest-altitude hydro-solar complementary facility, but also transforms hydropower construction tunnels into natural constant-temperature data centers, achieving dual breakthroughs in ultra-high computing power and ultra-low energy consumption.
The first batch of computing modules put into operation totals six. Currently, the project achieves a peak performance equivalent to the computing power of 240 million desktop computers used for everyday office tasks.
The entire computing modules are installed inside the hydropower station's construction tunnels, where temperatures are significantly lower than outside.
A thermometer at the tunnel entrance shows only 8 degrees Celsius. The tunnels remain cold and dry during winter and spring, with no high-temperature periods in summer, creating a constant-temperature data environment that significantly helps reduce the energy efficiency metrics of the intelligent computing center.
The power usage effectiveness (PUE) of the computing center is kept below 1.2. A PUE value closer to 1 indicates higher energy efficiency and a lower environmental footprint.
For every 1.2 kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed by the computing center, only 0.2 kilowatt-hours are used for auxiliary functions such as cooling and lighting, a level that ranks among the most energy-efficient in China.
China launches high-altitude cavern intelligent computing center
Efforts are underway in Gaza City to salvage what remains of the territory's cultural heritage after nearly two years of war.
At the ruins of the Great Omari Mosque, Gaza's oldest and largest mosque, Palestinian workers have been clearing and sorting stones dating back more than 1,200 years using basic tools.
"The Great Omari Mosque represents the heart and soul of Gaza City, and Palestine as a whole. The value of these stones is not in their size, but in their deep and layered historical significance," said Husni Al-Mazloom, manager of the Great Omari Mosque restoration project.
Only fragments of the mosque's minarets and a few of its external walls remain standing.
"During the war, it was not only people, trees, and buildings that were targeted, but also thousands of years of human history. Most historical sites in Gaza City were struck and destroyed in an attempt to erase the historical identity of Gaza's people," said Palestinian historian Ayman Al-Balbisi.
Progress on the restoration project has been extremely slow, as Israel continues to restrict the entry of construction materials, even after nearly eight weeks of ceasefire.
On a positive note, however, the project provides locals with more income.
"Before working here, we were unemployed. When this opportunity became available for me and 20 other workers, it allowed us to provide for our families and cover basic needs. During the war, there was no work available for us at all," said worker Ali Al-Qaloushi.
Palestinians have accused Israel of deliberately targeting heritage sites. But Israel denied, saying its strikes followed international law and targeted Hamas tools near or beneath these locations.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has verified damage to 145 religious, cultural and historical sites in Gaza since October 2023, raising fears of irreversible loss in a territory whose history spans more than 5,000 years and carries the imprint of numerous civilizations.
Gazans race to preserve cultural heritage after two years of war
