Nantong 1895

Nantong 1895

The Nantong 1895 Modern Industrial and Historical Cultural Block project is located in Tangzha Town, Gangzha District, Nantong City, covering a total planned area of 87 hectares with an investment of approximately over one billion yuan. In 1895, in pursuit of the ideal of “saving the nation through industry,” Zhang Jian, the top imperial scholar of the late Qing Dynasty, established a series of national industrial enterprises in Tangzha Town, including the Dasheng Cotton Mill, paper mill, oil mill, flour mill, and ironworks. As a result, Tangzha became one of the earliest and most important bases of China’s national industry. Centered around the two historical and cultural blocks on the east and west banks of Tangzha Town, the Nantong 1895 project aims to restore the remaining factories, workshops, warehouses, docks, and clusters of modern foreign architecture. It also targets the designation of “World Industrial Heritage” to revive the history of Nantong’s modern industry. Since its establishment in 2009, restoration work has been carried out progressively: following the completion of Phase I at the site of the former Dadah Inland River Steamship Company, Phase II focused on the renovation of the Red Building and the South Workshop, along with the construction of the 1895 Plaza. The block houses one national key cultural relics protection unit, three municipal-level cultural relics protection units, and nine outstanding historical buildings. Tangzha was the main cradle of modern Nantong, the area most densely concentrated with Nantong’s modern cultural resources, and the district where Nantong’s modern architectural style is best preserved. The existing Tangzha Industrial Historical Block consists of two parts: the East Bank Historical Block and the West Bank Historical Block, covering an area of 28.1 hectares. The overall revitalization plan for the Tangzha Industrial Historical Block seeks both to protect its historical character and to restore its vitality. The functional positioning of the Tangzha Industrial Historical and Cultural Block has shifted from being industry-focused to emphasizing residential, commercial, life service, and cultural tourism functions while retaining some industrial elements. In terms of land use layout, the previous single-function structure is being transformed to enhance public service functions and develop exhibition, tourism, and leisure uses. The preservation of the Tangzha Industrial Historical and Cultural Block will adopt an asset disposal-led revitalization strategy. The plan selects the Red Building and its surrounding plots on the east bank, as well as the paper mill and oil mill plots on the west bank, as pilot development zones. The Red Building and its surrounding areas will form a mixed-use zone integrating cultural tourism, retail and dining, entertainment, commercial-residential, and residential functions. The paper mill and oil mill plots will host a local cultural heritage protection and exhibition area as well as a creative industry park for Nantong.