In the long history of China, “Great Wuhan” has been famous far and wide, and its industry has played a decisive role.
However, with the advancement of urban renewal, many classic industrial buildings have been demolished, and the industry in Greater Wuhan has gradually faded out of people’s sight.
Wuhan’s tool and hardware products originated earlier. In the Qing Dynasty, the three towns in Wuhan had steelyard industries, file industries, and craftsmen making tools such as axes, chisels, bamboo knives, and trowels.
By the end of the 1990s, Wuhan’s tool hardware had basically formed seven natural industries, including craftsman tools, cutting tools, grinding tools, wrench tools, measuring instruments, lifting tools and pipe tools.
The Wuhan Hardware Tool Factory, located at No. 10 Daili Bay, Hanyang District, Wuhan City, is a professional factory that produces craftsman’s tools.
Craftsmen’s tools mainly refer to the “eight craftsman” tools (banner, cobbler, hoopmaker, mason, coppersmith, stonemason, carver, and carpenter). Their main products include axes, chisels, planers, hammers, bamboo knives, leather knives, trowels, carving knives, etc.
The history of the factory can be traced back to the 1960s.
In March 1966, Xi Xiangxing and Luo Yishun jointly established the Changjiang Craftsman Tool Factory; in October, Hanyang Steel and Fire Society was merged and named the Xinjian Tool Factory, becoming a professional factory in Wuhan that produces craftsman tools. It mainly produces forged woodworking axes, woodworking chisels, round chisels, planing iron, duck-bill hammers, claw hammers, etc.
In December 1983, Xinjian Tool Factory merged with Hongsheng Hardware Tool Factory and was renamed Wuhan Hardware Tool Factory.
At that time, there were 209 employees and 38 major equipment such as air hammers, grinders, punches, shears, polishing machines, and presses. The total output value was 940,000 yuan. It mainly produced woodworking axes, woodworking chisels, planers, hammers, bamboo knives, leather knives, etc.
In March 2019, when someone went to take pictures, Wuhan Hardware Tool Factory had already ceased production. The original factory was later renamed Wuhan Liangjiese Washing and Finishing Co., Ltd., and the company later rented out the factory.
In February 2019, Wuhan Liangjiese Cleaning and Finishing Co., Ltd. began to clear out tenants, and it is estimated that this place will be developed for real estate.
Wuhan’s modern industrial civilization has left us a number of precious industrial sites. These industrial heritages are the city’s historical memory, unique cultural symbols and indelible genes, and must be protected and passed on.
The industrial heritage protection status of Wuhan City is a microcosm of many industrial cities in China.
In the process of rapid urban development, we often ignore the historical heritage and urban personality.
In order to preserve the image record of the city’s industrial heritage, some people began to pay attention to and photograph the theme of Wuhan’s industrial heritage protection in 2008. In 2014, a photography special topic “Greater Wuhan” was established to focus on photographing Wuhan’s industrial heritage in a planned way. A total of more than 300 old industrial sites in Wuhan were photographed covering the late Qing Dynasty, the early Republic of China and the early days of liberation.
Although what has been lost is irretrievable, there is still a long way to go to protect the existing industrial heritage.
It is hoped that relevant records will arouse the attention and action of relevant departments and all walks of life on the protection of Wuhan’s industrial heritage.
