Steam locomotive

A microcosm of the industrial development 

A microcosm of the industrial development

A motorcycle exhibited

Workers’ Club during the Third Front Movement period 

CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- The history of industrial development across the ancient and modern times, from the ancient ironmaking technology, the modern steelmaking spirit, the changes of Hanyang Arsenal, to the flourishing development of textile industry and forging industry, is a microcosm of the development of ancient and modern China.

Chongqing Industrial Museum will open to the public on September 28. From now on, you can make an appointment to visit the museum on the official website of Chongqing Industrial Culture Expo Park and some WeChat official accounts.

Cultural relics to be exhibited in the park

Chongqing Industrial Museum, located at Lizilin Section of Chongqing Iron & Steel Plant, Dadukou District, is built on the basis of some industrial remains of former Chongqing Iron & Steel Plant. It consists of the main exhibition hall, the “Steel Spirit” Hall and the Industrial Sites Park, aiming to build a creative, interactive pan-museum.

The most eye-catching exhibit is the treasure of the museum near the theme hall gate, the 8,000 HP Twin Cylinder Horizontal Steam Engine. It is 10m long and 2m height, weighing about 250 tons, also the first large rail beam rolling mill prime mover of China's steel rolling industry.

Known as "the living fossil representing the early industrial equipment of Chongqing Iron & Steel Plant", it was introduced from the UK to Hanyang Iron Works in the late Westernization Movement of the late Qing Dynasty and transferred to Chongqing in 1938. On April 10, 1952, it successfully rolled the first Chinese-type 38KG/M heavy steel and provided power for rail production of Chengdu-Chongqing Railway, the first railway of the new China. It “retired” in 1985 when the energy saving reconstruction of Chongqing Iron & Steel Plant started. It has witnessed the development of modern iron and steel industry.

There are many key cultural relics exhibited in the theme hall, like Japanese curved plain milling in 1930, the Taosheng, a self-produced periodical of Steel Plant Relocation Committee in 1945, the relieving lathe of Chongqing Iron & Steel Plant in 1958 and the four-axis milling machine of Chongqing Iron & Steel Plant in 1961. 

Workers’ Club during the Third Front Movement period

In the exhibition hall, many memories related to steel industry are clearly reproduced. Workers’ Club in Chinese can be seen above the door.

The interpreter said that it aims to reproduce the amusement club of workers during the Third Front Movement period. These black-and-white films played can take you to the past.

A microcosm of the 816 Plant Underground Nuclear Engineering was also reproduced. Interviews of workers from 816 Plant were broadcasting in the air-raid shelter, saying “They devoted themselves to the construction of the new China and we all appreciate their efforts.” Various certificates witnessing the vigorous industrial construction in China since the founding of the new China can are displayed on the wall.

Over 16,000 collections in the museum

It’s said that there are over 16,000 collections in Chongqing Industrial Museum.

The 8,000 HP Twin Cylinder Horizontal Steam Engine in 1905 donated by Chongqing Iron and Steel Group is the treasure of the museum. It was purchased from the UK by Zhang Zhidong in 1906 and installed successively in Guangzhou and Hanyang. It was relocated to Dadukou due to the “Yichang Retreat” in 1938.

After its opening, the museum will continuously seek Chongqing industrial elements to enrich its collections and exhibits, launch various exhibitions themed on industrial culture occasionally and various social education and research activities and cultural products development activities periodically, and organize exchanges between museums, well-known enterprises, institutes and scholars.

The 3-month trial operation period is from September 29 to December 28, during which the main exhibition hall, the “Steel Spirit” Hall and the Industrial Sites Park will be opened to the public for free.

How to make an appointment to visit the museum?

During the trial operation period, you can only visit it via making an appointment online in advance. To ensure the best visiting experience, time-segmented reservation is applied, and people can’t enter the museum without making an appointment online in advance. From 9:00 to 13:00, the reservation is no more than 3,000 people; from 13:00 to 17:00, the reservation is no more than 2,000 people.

From now on, you can make an appointment on the official website of Chongqing Industrial Culture Expo Park (www.2019cqim.com), the WeChat Official Account of Chongqing Industrial Culture Expo Park, the website of Dadukou (http://www.ddknews.gov.cn/), or the WeChat Official Account of Dadukou Release. (Translated by Mao Qiao, Fathom Language Limited)