Former Site of Yongtai Silk Mill

Former Site of Yongtai Silk Mill

The former site of Yongtai Silk Mill is a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

The former site of Yongtai Silk Mill is located at No. 364 Nanchang Street, Nanchang District, Wuxi City. Originally established on Qipu Road in Shanghai, the mill was co-founded in the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1896) by Xue Nanming and Zhou Shunqing, and later operated solely by the Xue family. In May 1926, the Yongtai Silk Mill relocated to the foot of Dagong Bridge in Wuxi, becoming the leading silk mill in the city. Its “Golden Double Deer” silk won the Gold Elephant Award at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in New York, USA. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it transitioned from a public-private partnership to a locally state-owned enterprise known as the Second Wuxi Silk Weaving Factory. The site now retains one old cocoon warehouse and one office building, both located near the rear factory gate. The cocoon warehouse features seven bays in width, two stories in height, and a red brick exposed-wall finish. The office building spans five bays in width, has two stories plus an attic, and is of brick-concrete structure with terrazzo flooring, wooden stairs, and was used by Xue Nanming, his son Xue Shouxuan, and senior staff for office work. It stands as one of the important architectural witnesses to the development of modern national industry and commerce in Wuxi. In 2003, it was designated as a Wuxi municipal cultural heritage site along with the “Former Residence of Xue Nanming.”

On June 5, 2006, the former site of Yongtai Silk Mill was announced as part of the sixth batch of protected cultural heritage sites of Jiangsu Province.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Jiangsu Province