Former Site of Zhongshan Sugar Refinery

Former Site of Zhongshan Sugar Refinery

The former site of Zhongshan Sugar Refinery is located at No. 173 Xinming South Road, Xintang Community, Huangpu Town, Zhongshan City, within the premises of Zhongshan Zhengye Zhongtang Industrial Co., Ltd. It was constructed in November 1955 and put into operation in December 1957. The building covers an area of approximately 30,000 square meters, which was later expanded to 120,000 square meters. This historical site still retains a certain scale and preserves structures from the initial construction period between 1955 and 1957, including office buildings, refining workshops, pressing workshops, power workshops, foundries, and packaging rooms. Most of the buildings are of brick-concrete structure with red brick exteriors.

The refining workshop is a four-story concrete frame structure with red brick exterior walls, covering an area of about 2,100 square meters. Inside, some of the original machines and components from the factory's establishment are preserved, such as 18 sugar cake separators, 8 vapor separators, 14 crystallizing tanks, and 6 boiling pans. During the 1984 equipment upgrade, old machinery was phased out and replaced with newer series of presses, either by replacing entire units or just parts. For example, the bottoms of the boiling pans are original, but the outer wooden insulation strips were later replaced.

The office building is a two-story concrete structure with red brick exterior walls and a tiled roof, covering an area of about 800 square meters. It currently serves as the office and staff canteen for Dongguan Lianfeng Sugar Refinery. The external appearance of the building is relatively well-preserved, with the original wooden windows remaining, although the interior has undergone multiple renovations.

The power workshop is now relatively intact. The thermal power plant originally served as a self-contained power supply facility for the sugar refinery and paper mill operations, and also provided electricity to residents. It retains boilers, generator sets, and chimneys from the time of the factory’s establishment. However, the original power generation equipment is no longer in use and has been replaced with newer systems. For instance, boilers 1 to 4 were installed when the factory was built, while boilers 5 to 7 were added later and are still in operation. Of the two existing chimneys, one dates back to the factory’s founding and is made of red brick, while the other was built in the 1990s and is constructed from reinforced concrete.

Through continuous expansion, equipment upgrades, workshop renovations, and dock extensions, the internal and external environments of Zhongshan Sugar Refinery have undergone certain changes. However, a large number of mechanical devices in the original refining, pressing, and power workshops have been fully preserved. Architectural elements such as the refining workshop, office building, and power workshop exhibit a Soviet-style design. The former site of Zhongshan Sugar Refinery bears witness to the early industrial development of Zhongshan after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, holding significant historical value. Meanwhile, its Soviet architectural style also gives the site considerable artistic value.

Xintang Community: Xintang Community is located south of the Huangpu Town Government in Zhongshan City. The Xinxing Neighborhood Committee was established on March 29, 1995. To adapt to evolving circumstances, on December 29, 2000, Zhongshan Sugar Refinery underwent full restructuring and was placed under the management of Huangpu Town Government. In November 2001, following recommendations from the Zhongshan Civil Affairs Bureau, the Xinxing Zhongtang Committee was dissolved and merged to form the current Xintang Community Residents' Committee. The jurisdiction of Xintang Community includes the New Urban Area, Sunshine Holiday Residential Area, and the Zhongshan Sugar Refinery Residential Compound. The New Urban Area consists of 24 streets/roads, featuring shops, health stations, markets, and more... More details about Xintang Community++