As China’s artificial intelligence landscape rapidly evolves, one of the standout names is DeepSeek. Many observers have asked: where are DeepSeek’s data centers located? Understanding the location, scale, and architecture of these sites offers insights into how DeepSeek powers its large language model applications, navigates technical and regulatory constraints, and deploys global infrastructure. In this article, we examine the known locations of DeepSeek’s data centers, their strategic importance, and what it means for the company and the broader AI industry.
Who Is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek (杭州深度求索人工智能基础技术研究有限公司) is a Chinese AI company founded in 2023 and headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The firm focuses on large language models (LLMs) and rapid deployment of AI inference services. Because AI model-serving is computationally intensive, the location and design of data centers matter significantly for latency, energy use, regulatory compliance, and scaling.
Domestic Chinese Infrastructure – Core Locations
1. Inner Mongolia, Hohhot
One of DeepSeek’s key hubs is in the Hohhot New District, Inner Mongolia. The company reportedly deployed three intelligent computing centers here. This inland site aligns with China’s “Eastern Data, Western Computation” strategy, leveraging less-crowded, cooler, and cheaper land and power. Facilities such as the China Mobile Intelligent Computing Center, Paratera Technology’s computing-power base, and BONC Hohhot Intelligent Computing Center contribute to a combined compute capacity that supports DeepSeek’s AI models.
2. Hainan Island – Underwater/Coastal Facility
Another notable facility is off the coast of Hainan Island near Lingshui County. An underwater data center capsule has been integrated into a computing cluster, housing hundreds of high-performance servers. This facility reportedly powers thousands of DeepSeek AI conversations per second and takes advantage of natural seawater cooling for energy efficiency. The underwater design is a novel approach to managing high-density AI compute without overusing land resources.
3. Tianjin / Beijing Region
In northern China, the port city of Tianjin hosts an AI computing center in collaboration with Huawei Technologies, accommodating DeepSeek’s models, including its largest 671-billion-parameter system. This site provides low-latency access to northern China and maintains proximity to regulatory authorities and major business hubs.
Why These Locations Matter
Reduced Latency & Regional Reach
By distributing infrastructure across multiple regions, DeepSeek reduces latency, improves resilience, and avoids single points of failure. Coastal, inland, and northern nodes collectively enhance service reliability for users across China.
Energy & Cooling Efficiency
Hainan’s underwater facility leverages seawater for cooling, improving energy efficiency, while inland Hohhot benefits from naturally cooler temperatures and lower electricity costs. These strategies reduce operational costs and environmental impact.
Regulatory & Sovereignty Considerations
DeepSeek keeps its primary infrastructure within China to comply with domestic regulations and ensure data sovereignty. This centralized domestic footprint is critical for regulatory compliance and user trust.
International Expansion
Though most infrastructure is domestic, DeepSeek is reportedly exploring international hosting. Early 2025 saw potential deployments in Saudi Arabia and India, indicating the company’s intent to extend its global footprint. International sites may serve foreign clients and enable regional latency optimization while adhering to data localization requirements.
Strategic Implications
Scaling AI Compute
DeepSeek’s multi-region deployment reflects a strategic approach to scaling AI compute capacity efficiently. Inland, coastal, and northern hubs allow the company to handle high computational loads for large-scale AI inference.
Architecture Innovation
The underwater facility in Hainan is a prime example of infrastructure innovation, showcasing how companies can overcome land and energy constraints to house high-density compute resources.
Geopolitical Considerations
DeepSeek’s data center locations are relevant to global discussions on data security, sovereignty, and international collaboration. The domestic concentration of compute resources also highlights potential regulatory and strategic advantages for China in the AI sector.
Operational Constraints
While infrastructure expansion is critical, ensuring full utilization remains a challenge. Rapidly deployed AI data centers must balance capacity with real-world demand to avoid inefficiencies and stranded resources.
Uncertainties and Unknowns
Certain details about DeepSeek’s data centers remain unclear, including exact addresses, full hardware specifications, and operational metrics like power usage effectiveness (PUE) or uptime statistics. Limited public data makes it difficult to fully assess the company’s infrastructure capabilities outside reported regions.
Conclusion
To answer the question: where are DeepSeek’s data centers located? The company operates a network of domestic hubs in Inner Mongolia (Hohhot), coastal Hainan (underwater facility), and northern China (Tianjin/Beijing region), with emerging signals of international deployment. These sites are strategically positioned for latency reduction, energy efficiency, regulatory compliance, and AI model scaling.
DeepSeek’s infrastructure reflects broader trends in AI compute deployment: innovative architectures, geographic distribution for resilience, and careful attention to energy and regulatory considerations. Understanding these locations provides insight into how the company supports its large language models and positions itself within the global AI ecosystem. As more information emerges, DeepSeek’s data center footprint will continue to shape discussions around AI, infrastructure, and international technology strategy.
