Builders work on a tunnel construction site in Beijing's subcenter in late February.

Beijing's subcenter in Tongzhou district has made great strides in high-quality development and aims to complete the construction of a modern subcenter by 2035.

The subcenter is committed to relocating non-capital functions out of the downtown area, while it ramps up efforts to build itself into a new driver for the integrated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, said Hu Jiulong, deputy director of the Beijing's subcenter administrative committee.

So far, a first batch of 35 municipal-level departments and 12,000 officials have moved into their new offices in the subcenter. The second stage of construction is now in full swing and will be finished this year, according to Hu.

In addition to administration, the subcenter is developing two other key functions: commercial services and culture and tourism.

State-owned enterprises including Beijing Institute of Architectural Design and Beijing Investment Group have relocated their headquarters to the subcenter.

Canal Business District in the subcenter has attracted a number of financial institutions such as China Beijing Green Exchange and ABC Fintech.

Currently, a total of 19,672 enterprises are operating in the Canal Business District, with their total registered capital amounting to 456 billion yuan ($66.21 billion), according to official data.

Last year, the Beijing section of the Grand Canal in Tongzhou opened a tourist route to the Hebei section, allowing people to enjoy the beauty of the canal by boat.

Meanwhile, Universal Beijing Resort, which opened in September, 2021 in Tongzhou, has become a new landmark tourist destination in the country.

The subcenter has also planned three major cultural facilities including a theater, a library and a Grand Canal museum to better meet people's cultural demands. The three projects are under construction now and are expected to commence operations by the end of this year.

Five municipal hospitals including Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University have set up branches in Tongzhou, bringing great benefits to residents in the subcenter and surrounding areas in Hebei province, local officials said. Many schools headquartered in the city's downtown have also built a Tongzhou campus.

The subcenter is upgrading its transport network to increase its connectivity with Tianjin and Hebei and attract more potential investors.

Among the ongoing projects is an underground transportation hub, which will link four subways and three railways. The project is set to be finished in 2024. With an underground floor area of 1.28 square kilometers, it will be the largest of its kind in Asia.