Former Site of Xietonghe Machinery Factory

Former Site of Xietonghe Machinery Factory

The former site of Xietonghe Machinery Factory is a Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Xietonghe Machinery Factory was established in 1912. It originated as the Xietonghe Rice Mill, which was founded in 1911 (the third year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty) by Chen Peilin and Chen Bateng in Dachongkou, Fangcun. In 1912, it partnered with He Weiwen to expand into the Xietonghe Machinery Factory, specializing in the production of diesel engines. In 1915, the factory successfully replicated a four-cylinder, 44.3-kilowatt two-stroke hot-bulb diesel engine. In 1918, it also produced an 117.7-kilowatt, two-stroke diesel engine that used compressed air for starting and could run in reverse. This engine was installed on ships navigating the Pearl River, drawing attention from the shipping industry. As a result, the factory continued to replicate various types of two-stroke and four-stroke diesel engines. In 1930, a branch factory was opened in Hong Kong. By 1937, the factory had produced a cumulative total of 383 diesel engines of various specifications, totaling 16,800 kilowatts. It had 85 pieces of equipment and 340 employees, making it the largest machinery factory in South China. Its products were sold in South China, Southeast Asia, and Canada. After the fall of Guangzhou, the factory buildings and equipment were looted by the Japanese army. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the factory resumed mechanical repair services. In 1956, nine small machinery factories merged into it, turning it into a factory specialized in producing diesel engines. In 1966, it was renamed Guangzhou Diesel Engine Factory.

In December 2008, it was announced as part of the seventh batch of Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units. Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In January 2018, it was included in the first batch of China's Industrial Heritage Protection List.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units