Sign in or register
for additional privileges

Asian Migration and Global Cities

Anne Cong-Huyen, Jonathan Young Banfill, Katherine Herrera, Samantha Ching, Natalie Yip, Thania Lucero, Randy Mai, Candice Lau, Authors
Pinguoyuan, page 1 of 3
Previous page on path     Next page on path

Other paths that intersect here:
 

You appear to be using an older verion of Internet Explorer. For the best experience please upgrade your IE version or switch to a another web browser.

Long Live Shougang Steel


At Pingguoyuan there is a giant abandoned factory. It is not exactly abandoned, a skeleton workforce still exists, but it is nowhere near the size it was when it was China's largest steel factory. This is Shougang Steel (首钢), which used to be home to 200,000 workers and 8.5 square kilometers in size. In the 2000's, before the Olympics, it began to be shut down for air quality reasons and the changing economy of the city from industrialization to something else, moved out further into the provinces. Now it is one of Beijing's "wastelands", lost or abandoned places that have yet to be developed into something else. 

On a winter's day my friend and I take the bus out to Shougang's main gates and walk through. We wander through the almost empty factory, marveling at the massive unused and decaying industrial buildings. It is empty except for packs of blue coated workers who cycle by, ignoring us. . . as we wander through the ruins of a civilization. 

Please take a look at a series of pictures taken that day. . . 
Comment on this page
 

Discussion of "Long Live Shougang Steel"

Add your voice to this discussion.

Checking your signed in status ...

Previous page on path Pinguoyuan, page 1 of 3 Next page on path

Related:  Beijing - ShichahaiBeijing Vimeo MoviesRural to Urban MigrationBeijing, ChinaBeijing TaxiBeijing: A Global City?Beijing PhotosBeijing LiteratureBeijing FilmBeijing: First Ring RoadExpat MigrationPinguoyuanBeijing DoorsBeijing Death CloudMigrant Children in the RubbleBeijing Sky南锣鼓巷Virtual Dubai: Spec Ops: The LineBeijing: Reading the City (Culture)Line I: Orientations & PlacesBeijing Airport - LandingNorth Korean RestaurantKeanu & Man of Tai ChiBeijing 1968 MapBeijing Capital International AirportL.A. Songs: Funtimes in BabylonBeijing: BookwormBeijing: FuturesSanlitunEducational MigrantsLine II: Past and PresentWelcome to the Northern CapitalWudaokouThe 8th Ring Road: Limits/Speculative Futures/ConclusionsBeijing Subway VisualizationBeijing: Chang'an JieLos Angeles: Light and DarkBeijing: Recycling VillageBeijing, January 2009Line 13: Experiencing MigrationsBeijing Subway Close UpFahaisiTsinghuaBeijingHutongsBeijing, ChinaBeijing: Yonghegong798Beijing Cover ImageBeijing to SeattleTaijian BowuguanBeijing by Peter CarneyYoudu 幽都Seeing Foreign Bands in BeijingMulholland DriveBeijing: Asian Migrants and LaborersBeijing Music SceneSkylinesBeijing Subway MapTian'anmenBeijing: Reading the City (Official Texts)L.A. Songs: Desperados Under the EavesBeijing: PastLos Angeles: Reading the CityBeijing: GulouWangjing: Korean MigrationBeijing Smog Map IILos Angeles: FuturesBeijing 1907Beijing SimulacraBeijing MonumentsBeijing SkylineL.A. Songs: HappyBeijing 1968Blade RunnerBeijing GhostsBeijing Light MapBeijing Smog MapBeijing FlybyTimeout BeijingRecyling VillageBeijing TourismL.A. Songs: It Was a Good Day