Joint Workshop of the Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works of the Canton–Hankow Railway

Joint Workshop of the Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works of the Canton–Hankow Railway

The Joint Workshop of the Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works of the Canton–Hankow Railway is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Hunan Province.

The workshop before you is officially known as the Joint Workshop of the Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works of the Canton–Hankow Railway, also called the Big Iron Workshop or Machine Workshop. It was first built in the 25th year of the Republic of China (1936). At that time, during the third meeting of the Canton–Hankow Railway Reorganization Planning Committee, it was determined that Zhuzhou is located at the junction of the Canton–Hankow, Zhejiang–Jiangxi, and Hunan–Guizhou railways, offering superior geographical conditions for the repair of both passenger and freight trains passing through, as well as for the supply of spare parts. Moreover, Zhuzhou is situated along the Xiang River, with abundant resources and convenient access. In light of this, the National Resources Commission of the Republican government planned to establish seven major factories in Zhuzhou—producing steel, cast copper, automobiles, chemicals, and electrical equipment—aiming to transform Zhuzhou into the “Ruhr Area of the East.” Following this meeting, the Canton–Hankow Railway General Locomotive Works was relocated from its original site in Guangzhou’s Xicun to Zhuzhou, marking the beginning of the construction of the Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works.

The preparatory project for the Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works was overseen by Cheng Xiaogang, head of the Transportation Department of the Canton–Hankow Railway Administration, and Mao Yixin, head of the Locomotive Department. The initial funding came from: a grant of 45,000 yuan from the Ministry of Railways, a domestic bank loan of 750,000 yuan, and a loan of 150,000 British pounds (equivalent to approximately 2.475 million yuan at the time, earmarked solely for ordering British machinery and equipment) from the British Boxer Indemnity Committee. Additionally, all steel girders, machinery, and hoisting equipment originally purchased by the Canton–Hankow Railway Administration for the planned Xicun Locomotive Works in Guangzhou—which had been bought in Britain—were transferred in full to the Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works (valued at around 1.51 million yuan). This constituted the entire initial capital for establishing the Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works. On August 1, 1936, the “Ministry of Railways Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works Preparatory Office” was established at the Ye Family Ancestral Hall in Tiantianduan (now the entrance of Zhuzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College).

Now, observe this workshop—it earned the name “Joint Workshop” because it consists of four separate spans of different lengths joined together. It was designed by British architects and constructed by local craftsmen. The left sections (1–3) were completed in 1937; extensions were made in 1947 and 1952, and the rightmost fourth section was added in 1959. The ends of the workshop feature protruding gable walls, while the roof has a double-ridged design, covered with imported medium-wave asbestos tiles and equipped with bidirectional clerestory windows for excellent lighting and ventilation. The entire structure is 263.128 meters long, 78.86 meters wide, with a floor area of 22,383.5 square meters. It is currently the largest and best-preserved industrial heritage site in our city and is now a provincial-level cultural heritage protection unit.

As the Joint Workshop remains a core facility for producing power locomotives, photography is not allowed inside. Please turn off your mobile phones. Thank you for your cooperation. Alright, now everyone, please follow my lead and walk inside.

You can see that the main framework of the Joint Workshop is made of steel, with all components riveted and welded into shape. The spaces between the columns are enclosed with plain brick walls. The second auxiliary span is of mixed construction, featuring reinforced concrete columns, prestressed concrete roof trusses, and a concrete floor. Although it has undergone multiple expansions and renovations since its completion, the main structure still retains its original form from 1936. Moreover, these steel components have remained in good condition despite being 80 years old. But what you might not expect is that all these steel materials were custom-made at the British firm Vickers Armstrong, then shipped across the ocean, and after the full opening of the Canton–Hankow Railway in 1936, transported to Zhuzhou by train and assembled on-site.

Come a bit closer, and you can clearly see the words “british-i-steel” stamped on these steel pieces. In Chinese, that means “British steel.” It’s evident that British steel was considered a “world-renowned brand” back then.

Now, follow me as we move forward. What you see here are workers assembling subway lines. The Joint Workshop initially only repaired steam locomotives, but later began producing steam locomotives, electric locomotives, and subways. A total of 12 “firsts in China’s electric locomotive history” were born here in this workshop, including “China’s First Electric Locomotive,” “China’s First Computer-Controlled Electric Locomotive,” and “China’s First AC Drive Electric Locomotive.” In short, the Joint Workshop has witnessed the development of China’s national railway industry, which is why it has earned the status of a provincial cultural heritage protection unit.

Alright, everyone, gather around and take a look at this old machine tool in the corner. You can clearly see the words “Sino-British Boxer Indemnity” in the middle of the machine. Can anyone tell me what that means? (Interactive Q&A session with tourists) Alright, let me explain the origin of the “Sino-British Boxer Indemnity.”

In the 26th year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign during the Qing Dynasty (1900), the Eight-Nation Alliance captured Beijing and forced the Qing government to sign the humiliating “Final Protocol for the Settlement of the Disturbances of 1900,” also known as the “Boxer Protocol,” on September 7 of the following year. The treaty stipulated that the Qing government would pay 450 million taels of silver in reparations to various nations, calculated based on exchange rates of their respective currencies, with an annual interest rate of 4%, to be repaid over 39 years. Since 1900 was the Year of the Gengzi (庚子) in the Chinese zodiac, this reparation was called the “Gengzi Indemnity,” referred to by Westerners as the “Boxer Indemnity.” In 1918, after World War I ended with the defeat of the Central Powers (including Germany and Austria) and the victory of the Allied Powers (including Britain, France, and the United States), the Beiyang warlord government of China had supported the Allies with substantial grain supplies and had sent 175,000 laborers, over 2,000 of whom sacrificed their lives. As a result, China rightfully became one of the victorious nations and once again an “ally” of the Western powers. Subsequently, driven by the May Fourth Movement, Western countries such as the United States, Britain, Soviet Russia, and France began to gradually return portions of the indemnity funds, primarily for sending students abroad to study advanced Western science and technology, founding missionary universities and hospitals, and supporting rural surveys and archaeological research. Familiar institutions such as Tsinghua University, Yenching University, and Peking Union Medical College were established against the backdrop of the returned Boxer Indemnity funds. For example, Hu Shi, a renowned Chinese cultural figure, was a recipient of the second batch of Boxer Indemnity scholarships to study in the United States and later served as an advisory member of the Sino-British Boxer Indemnity Board on the Chinese side.

However, it wasn’t until April 8, 1931, that the Sino-British Boxer Indemnity Board was officially established in Nanjing. Its function was to use the returned indemnity funds to set up a foundation, lend money to the Republican government for investment in productive activities such as railways, highways, telecommunications, water conservancy projects, and electrical infrastructure, and then use the interest earned from those loans to support cultural and educational endeavors. However, it was explicitly stipulated that any machinery required for these investment activities must be purchased from Britain through the Materials Purchase Committee under the foundation. This clearly shows that the return of indemnity funds by imperialist nations came with conditions, and the use of the funds was tightly controlled by the other party. This explains why the steel in the Joint Workshop bears the English stamp “british-i-steel” and the words “Sino-British Boxer Indemnity.” The steel girders, machinery, and hoisting equipment for the Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works were all transferred free of charge from the Guangzhou Xicun Locomotive Works to the Zhuzhou Works, and were transported to Zhuzhou by rail after the full opening of the Canton–Hankow Railway on September 1, 1936, and then assembled on-site.

The Joint Workshop of the Zhuzhou General Locomotive Works of the Canton–Hankow Railway stands as physical evidence of how Western imperialist powers oppressed China in the realm of economic development, holding significant historical importance and value.

Author: Wang Jin Qiao

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Hunan Province