At a drone training base in Shiqi subdistrict, scorching heat bakes the grass as several trainees gaze upward, operating black drones with intense focus.

Under the shade of a canopy, Liang Ruolin offers a glass of lemon tea. She holds a bachelor's degree in Management from New York University in the US, and a master's degree in Marketing from Georgetown University. She once interned at Deloitte Consulting and a UN-backed foundation. Her husband Yuan Jiajun is a distinguished graduate of Parsons School of Design in the US.

Despite thriving in high-paying roles at a foreign company and a unicorn startup in Shanghai, the couple made a bold decision in 2022: returning to Zhongshan to forge a new path. By 2024, they had identified the burgeoning potential of the low-altitude economy and founded a drone training base.

"Upon completion of the second phase, this modern training base, spanning 15,000 square meters, will emerge as the largest comprehensive drone training hub in downtown Zhongshan," said Liang.

"We aim to build a 'drone community', and providing training services is just an entry ticket," Liang explained, adding that they are collaborating with enterprises in Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Shenzhen to develop industrial-grade drone components, trying to replace carbon fiber with precision industrial plastics.