Industrial Heritage. Eternal Memory

Shenyang Heavy Machinery Factory, founded in 1937, is the first heavy machinery factory established after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Known as the cradle of China’s machinery industry, it is one of the large-scale backbone machinery enterprises in this industry, which has created countless firsts and worked great wonders in the building and strengthening of the PRC. The endeavor to revitalize the old industrial base has breathed new life into this industrial giant.

To pay my respect for the industrial heritage, I went to the factory many times in the year 2008, during which I was able to touch their bustling working life in the factory, enjoy the beautiful pictures of steel sparks dancing around, record the wonderful moments as the working class made history with their day-to-day contributions, and experience the deep history and culture behind the industrial heritage.

The ever-boiling furnace kept the room temperature high and the workers on their toes. All these never-ending motions filled me with unlimited creative passion. When I finished my day in the factory, a senior worker told me that this factory would be relocated next year, and this place would become a commercial center for textile products. I felt unable to pinpoint me feeling hearing that. Whether it is nostalgia or excitement, today I still do not know. Indeed, this industrial revolution makes people recall the past glory. It is majestic, but one cannot help but feel sad. In the end, we all entrust it with our most cherished dreams!

Curator: Shi Chun