Yangpu to be a pilot zone for preservation
An artist's rendition of the WorldSkills Museum
The Huangpu River waterfront in Yangpu District is to become a national demonstration zone for the preservation and renovation of China's modern industrial heritage.
The riverside region stretching over 10 kilometers was one of the birthplaces of China's modern industries. It was home to China’s first modern water plant as well as the biggest power plant, soap factory and gas heating plant in East Asia.
The area became popular with the public after the introduction of commercial facilities and the preservation of old buildings as part of the city’s opening-up campaign on the downtown Huangpu River waterfront.
Construction of a National Cultural Relics Protection and Utilization Demonstration Zone will further enhance the preservation and redevelopment of its industrial heritage, while offering experiences to be copied and promoted elsewhere, said Wang Hao, deputy director of Yangpu.
The Yangpu District Culture Heritage Bureau unveiled by the district government on Friday will take the responsibility for the protection and development of the riverside’s industrial heritage.
Xue Kan (left), director of Yangpu District, and Fang Shizhong, director of the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism, unveil the Yangpu District Culture Heritage Bureau on Friday.
The Yangpu government also signed safety and responsibility agreements with the Yangshupu Water Plant, the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, operators of some key industrial relics, as well as the Dinghai and Daqiao subdistricts within the demonstration zone.
A panel of experts, including historian Xue Liyong, cultural heritage expert Li Kongsan and architecture professor Wang Lin, was established to guide development of the area’s cultural and historical resources.
A total of 66 historical riverside buildings in 24 areas will be preserved, covering a total of 262,000 square meters. A large number of industrial heritage sites will be renovated as museums and public facilities.
Work is underway to turn the century-old Wing On Warehouse at 1578 Yangshupu Road into a WorldSkills Museum. The museum will become a permanent exhibition site for vocational skills, an international platform for communication, an education center for young people and a documentation center for WorldSkills International.
A preserved shipyard along the Huangpu River in Yangpu District
Other historical structures being preserved include the Hanfenlou building, the former library of the Commercial Press dating back to 1904 and shipyards built around 1900 by a German company for the construction of shallow-water vessels, tow boats, ferries and cruise ships.
Several renovated historical structures have become popular sites.
The Green Hill renovated from a former tobacco warehouse is rated one of the most popular places to take photos at the Yangpu riverside.
Residents and tourists can also visit the former Yangshupu Power Plant. It was once the biggest thermal power plant in East Asia and the city's tallest structure. The plant was built in 1913 and operated until 2010.
The heritage site of a nearly century-old soap factory on the riverside has been converted into an art space and cafe. The Fantasy Bubble exhibition hall was developed on the former production site of the Shanghai Soap Company, originally built by British businessmen in 1923.
The Yangshupu Water Plant
