Shougang: From industrial base to attraction in Beijing
During my visits, I have noticed Shougang becoming increasingly a "must visit" location within western Beijing. There is certainly much to appreciate to enjoy what already has opened. Considerable areas are also presently undergoing renovation and landscaping. It will become a focal point for the Olympics within urban Beijing.
Shougang was one of China’s earliest enterprises on such a scale during the 1950s. It reflects the country’s focus then on industrialization and steel production. At its peak, it was producing over 10 million tons annually. So hard to imagine that scene today, walking around those areas already open to the public. It represents a form of 20th century archaeology, where the structures stand as symbols, reminders of bygone times. Today there is the sound of silence. Missing are the bangs, clanging or constant hum of production, day and night, for steel manufacturing never stopped, and the units worked around the clock. Indeed the evening sky would be lit with a glow from blast furnaces while clouds of steam rose constantly from its gigantic towers. The amalgam of chimneys, pipes and all forms of interconnected structures only comes into focus by walking amid them.
