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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Red industrial heritage in China

unprotected and undervalued, with limited recognition
of their esthetic and historical significance. Characterized
by simple architectural styles and low historical landscape
esthetics, such industrial sites are often overlooked in
both cultural relic protection and industrial heritage reuse
efforts. This issue is particularly pronounced for industrial
buildings such as factories, wharves, and office structures
from the early Deng Xiaoping (1904 – 1997) era, which
bear witness to China’s reform and opening-up period.
Despite their historical importance, these buildings are
not old enough to qualify for cultural relic protection.
Moreover, many are located in prime urban areas and are
frequently demolished in favor of urban development (Liu
Figure 2. NICE-2035 Future Life Prototype Street at night. Source: Photo & Gao, 2023).
by Sunny Han Han (2023)
The industrial heritage of the reform and opening-up
era, a vital component of red industrial heritage, faces
“spirit of craftsmanship” in the new era. This approach
effectively promotes the traditional “model worker spirit” an uncertain future due to insufficient attention and
while generating a positive cultural impact. protection. For instance, in Shenzhen, hundreds of Deng
Xiaoping-era industrial buildings have been demolished
Explaining the real value of mainstream culture by over the past decade. In Shekou, Shenzhen’s first industrial
combining “history and reality” reflects the flexibility of red zone, most industrial structures were dismantled, with
industrial heritage as a communication medium, which is only a small portion transformed into the Nanhai Yiku
also its key advantage. How to fully utilize this advantage, Cultural and Creative Industry Park. Similarly, in 2017, the
enhance its dissemination, plasticity, and participation, and urbanization of the Dongqiaotou Oil and Gas Reservoir,
maximize its effectiveness in the process of dissemination Shenzhen’s largest gas storage site, marked the beginning of
remains a practical issue that requires further exploration. its demolition and redevelopment. Several members of the
Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s
4. The current situation of the protection Political Consultative Conference proposed converting
and utilization of red industrial heritage the site into a park commemorating the city’s reform and

As a non-renewable cultural resource, industrial heritage opening-up era (Shenzhen Municipal Committee, 2017).
serves as a carrier of historical, cultural, and technological The Shekou Street Office similarly envisioned turning the
development, representing its greatest value and a key site into a “warm ecological park on industrial land” (Ding,
focus of industrial archaeology research. Over the past two 2017). However, these proposals have not yet materialized,
decades, due to proactive efforts by relevant departments and the Dongqiaotou Oil and Gas Reservoir has been
and the effective implementation of laws and policies, entirely demolished and no longer exists.
many valuable industrial heritage sites have been properly This pattern is not unique to industrial heritage from
protected and utilized. However, a significant number of the reform and opening-up period but also affects key sites
red industrial heritage sites remain excluded from the from the early years of the People’s Republic of China, which
cultural protection framework, creating a legal gap in their have not yet reached the threshold for legal protection.
preservation. This exclusion often leads to the paradoxical In Wuhan, known as the “eldest son of the Republic,” a
phenomenon of sites that “should be protected but should significant amount of industrial heritage dates back to
not be protected.” Furthermore, even among those the Mao Zedong era. Fieldwork reveals that of the 231
protected, emphasis is frequently placed on their historical industrial heritage sites in Wuhan built after 1949, 157 are
or regional significance, while their value as red cultural either almost completely dismantled or entirely destroyed.
resources receives insufficient attention (Lv, 2019). These sites include major buildings from the 156 Project,
such as the Wuhan Heavy Machinery Factory, where only
4.1. Double-blind spot in attention: The paradox of the entrance remains. In contrast, industrial heritage from
“should be protected but should not be protected” the late Qing (1644 – 1912) and Republican (1912 – 1949)
Currently, most red industrial heritage sites in China have periods, such as the Banco Bakery, Zongguan Waterworks
not yet reached the legal age threshold for protection (Figure 3), and the Hankou Light and Power Co., Ltd
as cultural relics. Consequently, they remain largely (Figure 4), has been well-preserved.

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 8 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.4611