Changzhou is one of the birthplaces of modern industry. In the late Qing Dynasty, when national industry was sprouting in China, the father of Chinese industry, Sheng Xuanhuai, emerged in Changzhou. During the Republic of China, industry entered a period of development, and another textile industry giant emerged in Changzhou, Liu Guojun. After liberation, the industry entered its heyday. During this period, Changzhou's textile, machinery and other industries were well-known throughout the country and became a part of small and medium-sized cities across the country to learn from Changzhou.
After the 1990s, with the adjustment of industrial structure, a number of once-splendid state-owned enterprises have entered the twilight, either relocated out of the city or went bankrupt. Factory buildings were razed to the ground by bulldozers; machines were cleared away as scrap metal. Seeing that industrial civilization has become a thing of the past and gradually disappeared in this city, the original Wumao Textile Factory, after being deserted for ten years, transformed into "Canal No. 5", a neighborhood reactivated by creativity. Nowadays, its magnificent transformation is being imagined with great imagination.
Previous life: Eighty years of history witness the rise and fall of industry
Eighty years ago, this place was called Hengyuanchang.
In the early 1930s, three wood shop owners, Tang Mengxi, Jing Chunsheng, and Fei Dingan, raised funds to start Sanhe Cloth Factory. They selected the factory site at No. 141 Sanbao Street beside the ancient canal, and mainly produced Forty yards of white muslin and white twill. Perhaps because the boss, who is a timber trader, is not familiar with the textile industry, the business situation is not very good. In 1933, Mao Xizhang, the owner of Runyuan Color Cloth Store, took over Sanhe Cloth Factory and changed its name to "Hengyuan Cloth Factory". "Heng" means long-term, and "Yuan" is taken from "Runyuan Color Cloth Store".
After Mao Xizhang took over, the factory experienced real development. It was not only able to weave cloth, but also print and dye. In 1936, Hengyuan Chang Dyeing and Weaving Co., Ltd. was established. The word "Chang", which represented prosperity and financial resources, was added to the original name.
Before the Anti-Japanese War in 1927 to 1937, it was a decade of miracles in Changzhou’s modern industry. In particular, the textile and printing and dyeing industries were outstanding and became the main symbol of Changzhou’s modernization. The establishment of the basic model of spinning, weaving and dyeing joint ventures was of pioneering significance in that era. During this period, the equipment and funds of Changzhou's textile industry increased eightfold, which was called a "rare miracle" in the history of my country's national industrial development by the famous economist Ma Yinchu. In this environment, Hengyuanchang has also entered a golden age of development. Not only has it expanded its production scale, the number of workers has increased to 450, the number of looms has increased to 224, the factory building has increased to 2,100 square meters, and its products have also been expanded. Registered trademarks such as "Tongying". Not only that, Hengyuanchang also successively opened Dingyuan Gauze Store and Dingyuan Grocery Store, and opened overseas offices such as Shanghai Shenzhuang Sales Office. The model from production to sales has initially taken shape, and it has become a leader in the Changzhou weaving industry. Leading enterprises.
In today's Hengyuanchang Historical Exhibition Hall, there is a precious calligraphy preserved. It was a middle-level manager in the factory at that time who, through relatives, invited the then Vice Chairman of the Military Commission of the National Government. The factory name "Hengyuanchang" was inscribed by the famous patriotic general Feng Yuxiang. After that, with the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War and the oppression of the feudal compradors, Hengyuan Chang inevitably fell into difficulties.
After liberation, Hengyuanchang underwent socialist transformation and transformed into a public-private partnership of Hengyuanchang Dyeing and Weaving Factory. The first public factory director, Wu Liangzuo, was the father of Wu Wenying, the former Minister of Textile Industry. In 1966, the factory was transformed into the fully state-owned Changzhou Fifth Cotton Weaving Factory. In 1980, taking into account the update and enrichment of products, the name was changed again to Changzhou No. 5 Woolen Textile Factory.
A group of municipal, provincial and ministerial level model workers and two national model workers have been produced here. One is Yan Xiuzhen, who was received by Mao Zedong and other party and state leaders; the other is Zhao Wuling. Her weaving group was rated as "Zhao Wuling Group" by Changzhou City.
The blankets produced in this factory won the Quality Product Award from the Ministry of Textile Industry as early as 1987, and in 1988 they received the Pure Wool Mark of the International Wool Bureau. The "Tongying Brand" trademark, which is still in use today, has witnessed the rise and fall of this factory next to the canal for more than 70 years, and has also ushered in its gorgeous transformation today.
This life: Creativity activates the legacy of industrial civilization
Two years ago today, Changzhou Creative Industry Association was officially established. One of the main goals of the association is to make full use of Changzhou’s industry and trade stock Taking advantage of the assets, we rely on the development, protection, and inheritance of Changzhou’s industrial context and memory along the canal, and activate the industrial space with a creative spirit.
As the main sponsor of the Creative Industries Association, Changzhou Industry and Trade State-owned Assets Management Co., Ltd. thought of the former Changzhou No. 5 Woolen Textile Factory at No. 141 Sanbao Street. This typical old industrial enterprise "born along the river" ceased production in the late 1990s. The factory area, which covers a total area of ??36,388 square meters, has been dormant on the south bank of the ancient canal for more than ten years. However, the factory area spans early residential buildings from the 1930s to the 1990s, Japanese-style buildings, and rows with the characteristics of textile enterprises. The zigzag-shaped factory building is inextricably reminiscent of the famous 798 Art District—perhaps, it can also be reborn in creativity like the old electronics industry factory in Beijing.
After learning from the successful experiences of cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, the Industry and Trade State-owned Assets Corporation decided to combine the application of the ancient canal as a cultural heritage and the renovation of the Shilongzui traditional style area of ??the ancient canal, focusing on "canal culture, industrial heritage, creativity Through the three major themes of "Industry", we will carry out construction through the method of "renovation, reduction, and addition" to transform this old factory building into a cultural and creative district with design services as the main category and gathering all kinds of creative cultural talents and enterprises, named " Canal Five” creative district. "Five" retains the original symbol of "Wumao Textile Factory", which is also a homophonic pronunciation of "I" in Changzhou dialect, which means to encourage young people to spread their passion, show themselves and realize their own value.
The "Canal No. 5" project has received attention and support from relevant provincial and municipal departments since the beginning of planning, and was listed as one of the top ten cultural tourism projects in the 2010 "Cultural Tourism Year".