Abstract:Currently, there are 262 resource-based cities in China, of which mature and declining cities account for 79.39%. These cities have made significant contributions to the country’s economic and social development, but now they are facing severe challenges and difficulties, and their transformation problems urgently need to be solved. This work studies the mechanism of resourcebased transformation and proposes strategies for the transformation of resource-based cities: (1) Transformation should be comprehensive, balanced, and sustainable; (2) Transformation should fully leverage the leading role of the market while also taking into account the fundamental role of the government; (3) Transformation should fully leverage the synergy of technology, talent, and innovation; (4) Transformation requires equal emphasis on digital economy and economic digitization; (5) Transformation should focus on the coordinated promotion of strategic emerging industries, future industries, and traditional industries; (6) Transformation requires strengthening and ensuring financial support; and (7) Transformation needs to match a package of policy systems. Empirical analysis is carried out by taking Datong City, Shanxi Province as an example.