Nantong 1895

Nantong 1895

The Nantong 1895 Modern Industrial and Historical Cultural Block project is located in Tangzha Town, Gangzha District, Nantong City, with a total planned area of 87 hectares and a total investment of over one billion yuan. In 1895, in pursuit of the ideal of "industry saving the nation," Zhang Jian, the top scholar of the late Qing Dynasty, established a number of national industrial ventures in Tangzha Town, including the Dasheng Cotton Mill, paper mill, oil mill, flour mill, and ironworks. As a result, Tangzha became one of China's earliest important bases for national industry. Centered around the two historical and cultural blocks on the east and west sides of Tangzha Town’s river, the Nantong 1895 project aims to restore the surviving factory buildings, worker dormitories, warehouses, docks, and clusters of modern foreign architecture. It also targets the goal of applying for recognition as a “World Industrial Heritage” site, reviving the history of Nantong’s modern industry. Since the project was initiated in 2009, restoration work has been gradually carried out: following the completion of Phase I packaging at the former site of the Dadah Inland River Steamship Company, Phase II began with the restoration of the Red Building and the South Worker Dormitory, along with the construction of 1895 Square. The block area includes one national key cultural relics protection unit, three municipal-level cultural relics protection units, and nine outstanding historical buildings. Tangzha was the main birthplace of modern Nantong, the most concentrated area of the city’s modern cultural resources, and the district where the modern appearance of Nantong is best preserved. The existing Tangzha Industrial Historical Block consists of two parts: the East Bank Historical Block and the West Bank Historical Block of Tangzha, covering an area of 28.1 hectares. The overall revitalization plan for the Tangzha Industrial Historical Block aims not only to protect its historical appearance but also to restore the vitality of Tangzha. The functional positioning of the Tangzha Industrial Historical and Cultural Block has shifted from being primarily industrial to focusing on residential, commercial, life service, and cultural tourism uses, while retaining some industrial elements. In terms of land use layout, the previous single-function approach is being changed, with enhanced public service functions and the development of exhibition, tourism, and leisure functions. The protection of the Tangzha Industrial Historical and Cultural Block will adopt a revitalization strategy led by asset disposal. The plan selects the Red Building and 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 area will form a mixed-use complex integrating cultural tourism, retail and dining, performance and entertainment, commercial-residential, and purely residential functions. The paper mill and oil mill plots will be developed into a local cultural heritage protection and exhibition area, as well as a creative industry park for Nantong.