Ruilun Aircraft Factory Ruins

Ruilun Aircraft Factory Ruins

Ruilun Aircraft Factory Ruins is a cultural tourism attraction.

Ruilun Aircraft Factory Ruins

The historic Central Ruilun Aircraft Factory was located in Ruilun Village, Nongdao Town, Ruili City. Established in 1939, it was formerly known as the "China Hangzhou Factory." In 1942, when Japanese invading forces occupied Burma, the Ruilun Aircraft Factory was abandoned. This was an aircraft manufacturing plant jointly built by China and the United States, featuring advanced technology for its time. At its peak, the factory employed 2,500 workers, produced 63 aircraft, and assembled 50 more. It not only manufactured and maintained a large number of combat planes for the war against Japan but also developed the world’s first copper-shaft reverse-rotation helicopter—a global first. The Ruili Ruilun Aircraft Factory was the earliest aircraft manufacturing facility in Yunnan. Even after more than half a century, remnants of the original runway can still be seen. A large concrete area with neat and solid edges reflects the remarkable construction techniques of the time, and exposed steel bars can occasionally be spotted. In one corner of the site stands a white marble memorial plaque briefly documenting the history of the aircraft factory. Behind the plaque, within a bamboo shed, the edge of a concrete slab bears the engraved marking “CAMC1939” (the English abbreviation for the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company).