Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Industrial Museum of China in Manchurian Shenyang


DSCN0400 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

Last September, when I returned to my home city, Manchurian Shenyang, I visited the Industrial Museum of China, located in the Tiexi District, which was the industrial quarter of Shenyang and the heart of the heavy industrial in China since 1910s through 1980s, when the changing demographics and economy model left the district behind, culminating in about 75% unemployment rate in 1990s in that district, whose population's plight was documented by a heart-retching documentary, Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks, recording the decline of the district and the consequences on its once proud industrial worker residence.  Now, though largely through controversial land deals, the district came out of the deep depression, a visit to the museum still brought mixed feelings to many people in Shenyang - nostalgia, sadness, anger, resignation, and reasonable or unreasonable hope and pride.

The museum was converted from a huge decommissioned factory, with an impressive modernistic façade:

DSCN0401 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0397 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0405 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0398 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0396 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

The museum documented briefly the industrialization of China, which generally started fin the Yangtze Delta and later on, Manchuria, administered by warlords and Russian or Japanese conquerors.  Below are some machinery from that era:

DSCN0273 _ U.S.HPM Juice Press, 1877, Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013
U.S.HPM Juice Press, 1877

DSCN0251 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0250 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013
Grand Marshall Zuolin Zhang, a champion of education and industrialization in Manchuria, early 20th century

DSCN0248 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0309 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013
Railroad Signals, Southern Manchurian Railroad, 1930s

DSCN0310 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013
Locomotive, Southern Manchurian Railroad, 1930s

The most interesting item was a table tallying Tiexi workers' strikes and their often victories - improved work conditions and increased wages.  The table only cover years from 1919-1944.  Apparently, since the Communists took over, no such strikes were allowed to take place:

DSCN0315 _ Workers Strikes and their victories (1919-1944), Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013
Workers Strikes and their victories (1919-1944)

The main section of the museum was devoted to the heydays of Tiexi District in 1950s-1970s, when it was the center of the production of the entire nation.  There was much chest-thumping heroism, as seen in these relief sculptures below:

DSCN0242 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0244 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0245 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013



DSCN0393 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0391 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

Even on the machine tool from that era, there was such writing: Stressing Revolution.

DSCN0263 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

Then we saw the somber side of the museum - the remain of a huge factory and the recreation of manufacturing scenes:

DSCN0277 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0387 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0286 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

Next, we saw the recreating of workers' canteen - a large dining hall, adorned with banners representing most prominent factories once existed in Tiexi District, Shenyang.  The canteen was a functioning restaurant and one could buy food cooked similar to those served in former canteens from various factories, and some fancier stuff:

DSCN0289 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0291 _ Industrial Museum of China, 
Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0296 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0295 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013 DSCN0297 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013
Workers' canteen and traditional aluminum lunch boxes from those era

From food, we moved on to lodging.  In 1950s, several quite beautiful Soviet styled housing were built for workers - and it was quite an award and honor to be able to like there - Workers' Village.  Below are picture of the large compound and several recreated units, furbished with genuine items donated from former residents:

DSCN0324 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0316 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0318 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0317 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0319 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0322 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013 DSCN0321 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

Similarly, there were other household items from that era, including a collection of ration coupons for any merchandize one could think of - grain, cloth, wine, cigarette, cooking oil, sugar, etc.:

DSCN0268 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013
Household Items from 1950-1980s, including food, cloth ration coupons

DSCN0266 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013
Barber Tools, 1970s

There was a trolley bus from now defunct bus line, No. 11 in Shenyang, which used to serve Tiexi District and beyond, into civil servants quarters where I grew up:

DSCN0303 _ Industrial Museum of China, 
Shenyang, 5 September 2013
Recreated Bus Stop for now defunct No. 11 Trolley Bus in Shenyang, serving Tiexi District and beyond

DSCN0300 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013
Recreated No. 11 Trolley Bus in Shenyang, serving Tiexi District and beyond

Since we are touching on transportation, I also include couple pictures of old vehicles and a train locomotive from the Transportation section, but omitted those of various sedans and jeeps as they didn't interest me:

DSCN0373 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0372 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0366 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

There were tractors and mining tools as well:

DSCN0338 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0352 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

And they never forget to include items to demonstrate their military might:

DSCN0390 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

Finally several artwork in different sections of courtyard:

DSCN0305 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

DSCN0304 _ Industrial Museum of China, Shenyang, 5 September 2013

Visiting the museum was time traveling experience and quite poignant one.


Related posts on Art · 文化 · Kunst:
-
Ziyan Lavender Manor Garden, Shenyang China
- Art in the Streets of Shenyang, China 
- Liaoning (Proving) Museum in Shenyang
- Kitchen, Restaurant and Food Court in Shenyang, China
- Fruit Shop and Market in Shenyang, China
- Stores and Markets in Shenyang, China
- Rooftop Vegetable Garden in Shenyang, China
- New Subway System in Shenyang, China
- Hospitals in Shenyang, China
- Shenyang, China ... continued

Label: Shenyang, Shenyang Trip 2013

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