Old Beijing industrial site now houses precious art

By Liang Kaiyan | China Daily | Updated: 2018-10-31 07:40

More than 30 Russian screen prints created in the last century were shown in Beijing recently, providing visitors an experience to appreciate the history of visual arts.

The works were displayed during the Beijing Silon International Culture and Art Festival in Chaoyang district, a sub-venue of the 13th China Beijng International Cultural and Creative Industry Expo last week.

The Russian pieces were displayed at the 46 cement silo structures in the Beijing Silon International Cultural and Creative Park, a repurposed building material warehouse.

The park was formerly used to stockpile cement for construction projects including the National Stadium and the Third, Fourth and Fifth Ring roads in Beijing.

But the park, with the remaining 46 silos, two intact 400-meter-long railway lines and other industrial buildings with a history of more than 30 years, has been renovated as a cultural attraction with modern vitality.

In August, the 46 silos were identified by the World Record Certification as the largest cement silo structure group in the world.

The silos have become a major attraction in Beijing and will continue to serve as a national and even world cultural landmark in the future, according to an official of the park.

The upgrading and transformation of industrial heritage is also seen at the ICCIE.

This year, a total of 50 renovated cultural industrial parks of the National Alliance of Old Factory Co-Development, a collaborative development platform, made their debut at the expo.

These parks included well-known areas such as the Beijing 798 Art Zone and the 751 D-Park, according to the alliance.

The alliance aims to showcase the achievements protection and revamping of old factories, as well as how they can be used to help develop urban culture, said an official from the group.

"We have promoted these parks through media platforms and encourage locals to share their experiences," said Yang Jun, head of the Chaoyang planning museum, a member of the alliance.

The alliance will invite more participants to aid in the protection and development of cities' old factories, Yang said.

To date, some 60 disused factories have been updated and transformed into cultural and creative industrial parks in Chaoyang district, covering a total area of nearly 3 million square meters, said Guo Qi, a staff member of the culture and creative industry development center of Chaoyang district.

In 2017, the Beijing government released a guideline for developing culture through protecting and reutilizing old factories, to revitalize the city's cultural vitality.

Official data show that Beijing has 242 old and disused factories, with about 6.01 million sq m having been renovated. The sprucing up of a further 1.38 million sq m is under way.