The National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently announced the list of “Republic’s Imprints,” artifacts and typical cases of industrial heritage conservation and utilization, including 100 artifacts and 77 industrial heritage conservation case studies. Shougang Group proudly secured three entries on this esteemed list, including the case study of “Shougang Park: Protection, Utilization, Development, and Transformation of Shougang’s Main Iron and Steel Process in Beijing,” submitted by Beijing Shougang Construction Investment, Shougang Shuicheng Steel’s T001 molten iron tank car, and a sample from the first molten iron produced by the Shuicheng Iron and Steel Works.

From resisting invasion during Japan’s occupation of North China to safeguarding the plant during the Civil War and supporting the front lines during the Korean War, and to date, Shougang has demonstrated unwavering resilience, embodying the traditional culture and national spirit of the Chinese people throughout its century-long history since its inception in 1919. Shougang’s dramatic transformation over the past century mirrors the dynamic evolution of Chinese society, serves as a vivid microcosm of the nation’s steel industry, and represents a remarkable industrial epic that is filled with great triumphs over challenges, significant contributions to the development of China’s steel industry, and unique elements of a red industrial culture.

Shougang rapidly resumed and expanded production after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Through relentless hard work and a race against time, Shougang workers spearheaded the restoration of production and constructed a fully integrated steel enterprise encompassing mining, sintering, coking, ironmaking, steelmaking, and rolling, which later became one of the nation’s top ten steel producers. During this process, Shougang independently built China’s first top-blown oxygen converter steel mill, developed the earliest coal powder injection technology for blast furnaces, and achieved a world-leading coke ratio, all being testaments to its pioneering role in advancing China’s steel industry technology. The growth of Shougang has also nurtured numerous exemplary workers whose dedication and achievements epitomize the Shougang spirit and its core values.

During the decade following the turn of the millennium, Shougang implemented the 'From Mountains to the Sea’ strategy relocation to move its operations from Shijingshan to Caofeidian in preparation for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. This initiative served as a model for relocating non-capital functions from Beijing, stimulating regional economic development and playing a pivotal role in regional collaborative development and environmental remediation. Shougang became a key player, platform, and link in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, acting as a vanguard in this strategy.

Following the cessation of production, Shougang’s old site embarked on an ambitious transformation by developing the New Shougang High-end Industrial Comprehensive Service Area. Shougang renovated and upgraded its industrial heritage, transforming existing structures into facilities that retain their industrial character and unique aesthetic. These facilities have collectively supported the park’s industrial clusters and enhanced the viability and vigor of industrial remnants. Blast Furnaces #1, #3 and #4 have been repurposed into a science fiction immersive experience park complex, a global launch center, and an international convention center, respectively. The “Western Ten Silos” area have been transformed into a hub for high-end business and corporate offices, notably serving as the headquarters of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The former power plant and employee dormitories have been redeveloped into Shangri-La and Holiday Inn Express hotels, while the mill’s conveyor galleries have been converted into elevated walkways.

Shougang Park was created for the Summer Olympics and prospered with the Winter Olympics. Its rapid and constant development has cultivated industries with distinct characteristics, such as hospitality, food and beverages, and convention and exhibition hosting, creating an integrated ecosystem. The park’s diverse “technology +,” “sports +,” and “culture +” scenarios have solidified its position as the permanent site for events such as the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), the Beijing New Year Countdown, and the ESG China Innovation Annual Conference. Currently, Shougang Park houses 878 companies with a total registered capital exceeding CNY 78 billion. These companies hold 170 prestigious designations, including national high-tech enterprises, specialized and innovative enterprises, and gazelle enterprises. The park has also hosted major international events, including the FIS Snowboard & Freeski Big Air World Cup and the WTT China Smash. Shougang Park’s metamorphosis is a typical example of Beijing’s profound urban transformation and stands as the world’s largest revitalization case of industrial areas spearheaded by an enterprise.

Shougang Park holds significant historical, technological, social, and artistic value. Currently, Shougang Park is actively implementing the requirements for the development of new quality productive forces, firmly clinging to its mission to be a highland of innovation and a node of consumption, enhancing its industrial clusters, accelerating its “1+3+X” industrial system of new quality productive forces, and developing a crucial urban functional zone along the western axis of Chang’an Avenue and as well as a new landmark for urban revitalization for a shared future.

Shuicheng Iron & Steel, established in 1966, was a major steel mill in western China, built during the nation’s “Third Front Line Construction” period. After more than 50 years of development, it has become the largest state-owned integrated steel enterprise in Guizhou Province and one of the most influential in Southwest China. Its operations encompass steel making, mining, coal and coke processing, import and export trade, road transportation, mechanical processing, construction and installation, and cement production. The two “Republic’s Imprints” -- the T001 molten iron tank car and a sample from the first molten iron produced by the Shuicheng Iron and Steel Works -- fall in the machinery and equipment category and the industrial product category, respectively. They are tangible testaments to industrial development in Guizhou during the “Third Front Line Construction” period and to the historical development of Shuicheng Iron & Steel.