Former Site of Tianzhuangtai Pumping Station

Former Site of Tianzhuangtai Pumping Station

The former site of the Tianzhuangtai Pumping Station is a cultural tourism attraction.

The former site of the Tianzhuangtai Pumping Station is located to the northeast of Yimian Street in Tianzhuangtai Town, Dawan County, Panjin City, on the western bank of the lower reaches of the Da Liao River. It is 50 meters north of the new site of the Tianzhuangtai Pumping Station and 200 meters west of Ersha Highway.

The Japanese puppet "Development General Bureau" constructed a pumping station (referred to as a water-lifting field by the Japanese) in Tianzhuangtai Town in 1939. It was completed and operational in 1942, and has a history of 72 years to date. The factory building is 53.2 meters long and 11.7 meters wide, with a solid reinforced concrete block foundation and frame structure. The upper part consists of a wooden truss and brick-concrete structure. The main building covers an area of approximately 622 square meters, with a total site area of about 10,000 square meters. It was equipped with eight 130-centimeter horizontal centrifugal pumps, with a total capacity of 2,800 kilowatts, a water lifting capacity of 25 cubic meters per second, and an intake channel only 50 meters long, offering the advantage of convenient water diversion. The forebay of the machine room connects directly to the Da Liao River, and the pressure tank leads water directly into the main canal. The outlet features concrete protection for the bottom and slopes, with a bottom width of 40 meters.

The southern intake channel of the Tianzhuangtai Pumping Station is directly connected to the Da Liao River, while the north abuts the Tianzhuangtai main water supply canal. It is 30 meters west of a residential area. The station can irrigate approximately 150,000 mu of farmland annually, with an average grain yield of around 750 kilograms per mu.

The impellers of the pumping machines have been in continuous use. Some repairs were made to the impellers in the 1970s, and they have been operating normally for over 70 years without any replacement of the main impellers.

The original two motors have both been replaced with Chinese-made ones. Some parts of the wiring and auxiliary facilities have also been replaced, including the distribution board and control panel, which have been updated with Chinese-manufactured versions.

This station is the main water intake facility for the Tianzhuangtai canal system. The hydraulic engineering design, architectural design, and process flow of the pumping station remain relatively advanced to this day. From its establishment until August 2010, it was in continuous use. It serves as a rare historical witness for studying the development of modern agriculture and water conservancy in Panjin, as well as the formation and evolution of Japanese settler groups in the region during the occupation.

In October 2004, the Panjin Municipal People's Government designated it as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit.

In 2009, to protect this historically significant building, the Dawan County Water Conservancy Bureau undertook extensive efforts. Based on the recommendations of water conservancy experts to rebuild the new station, the original Tianzhuangtai Pumping Station was decommissioned and subsequently relocated 50 meters away. The intake channel was also moved eastward, preserving the evidence of Japanese aggression for future generations as an educational tool.

In 2011, the Dawan County Water Conservancy Bureau organized staff to interview veteran water conservancy workers and local residents who had witnessed the construction of the old station during the Japanese puppet period. They compiled and preserved the history of the old station, conducted initial reinforcement of its damaged walls, and collected tools and daily utensils used by the Japanese invading forces during the construction of the pumping station to seize farmland and plunder grain. These items will be used in the preparation for a water conservancy museum. Once completed, the museum will become the first in Northeast China and even the whole country to comprehensively document the evidence of Japanese war crimes and preserve a complete water conservancy facility.

Tianzhuangtai Town: Located in the southeastern part of Dawan County, Panjin City, Tianzhuangtai Town lies to the east of the Da Liao River and to the west of the Bohai Bay, adjacent to the Liaobin Coastal Economic Zone. Historical records indicate that the earliest settlers in the area were families surnamed Tian and Zhuang. To the west of the town stands a Ming Dynasty beacon tower, hence the name “Tianzhuangtai,” which has a history of over 600 years. The original town covered an area of 1.24 square kilometers. After merging with the former Gaojia Township in 2002, its area expanded to 39 square kilometers, with a population of 35,000. It administers neighborhoods including Pangjia, Zhongyangbu, Jiajia, Gaojia, Liyang, Baijia, Malian, Nianfang, Beida, Nanda, Matou, Shengli, Jiuyuan, and more... More details about Tianzhuangtai Town++