Henan Also Has Its Own 798, Transformed from Luoyang's Dongfanghong Old Factory, Yet Hidden in the City and Little Known

With social development, high-rise buildings have sprung up across the country like bamboo shoots after rain, modern factories stand in dense rows, while some factories from the early days of liberation have gradually faded from the historical stage. The industrial civilization memories that have accompanied citizens for decades evoke a sense of reluctance in many people. As a result, many cities have transformed famous old factories into museums and cultural creative parks, combining traditional culture with contemporary civilization to create new cultural landmarks. Among them, Beijing's 798, Chongqing's Second Factory, Guangzhou's Red Brick Factory, Shanghai's M50 Creative Park, and Chengdu's Eastern Music Park are outstanding examples. So, where is Henan's 798, given that it is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization?

Perhaps everyone has a different answer. Some think it is in Zhengzhou, some in Luoyang, and others in Kaifeng. But no matter the debate, the Dongfang Cultural Creative Park introduced in this article by Yufan definitely deserves a place.

Some friends might ask: Shouldn't the Dongfang Cultural Creative Park be in the East? Why is it in Luoyang? Actually, I had the same question at first. A local friend explained it to me like this: The predecessor of Dongfang Cultural Creative Park is the old factory of Yituo Construction Machinery Plant. Some friends may not be familiar with Yituo Construction Machinery Plant, but its Dongfanghong tractor is well-known to everyone. So it is not hard to understand why the cultural creative park transformed from the old factory that produced Dongfanghong tractors is named Dongfang Cultural Creative Park. This is also a continuation and inheritance of culture.

In the minds of many friends, Luoyang is an ancient capital with a long history and rich culture spanning thirteen dynasties, yet they do not know that it is also a famous old industrial base. During the 'First Five-Year Plan' period decades ago, among the 156 key national projects, seven were settled in Luoyang. The Jianxi District of Luoyang is one of the most concentrated areas for these projects.

More than 60 years ago, factory buildings rose from farmland, and batches of skilled workers 'converged on Luoyang in great numbers.' More than 60 years later, with the restructuring of state-owned enterprises and industrial structure adjustments, some factories were shut down and left idle. To repurpose these old factory buildings, the Jianxi District took the lead in transforming the old Dongfanghong tractor factory into a cultural creative park.

It is understood that the founder of Dongfang Cultural Creative Park is Min Xiaobing. In 2017, he discovered this 'treasure land' hidden among overgrown weeds and wild trees in Jianxi. He felt that 'the environment is good, the space is large, the rent is low, and it carries a historical and cultural atmosphere, making it very suitable for transformation into a cultural creative park.'

Before the renovation, they first visited and studied many well-known cultural creative parks across the country, including Beijing's 798. Later, combined with Luoyang's actual conditions, they preserved the distinctive features of industrial relics such as red bricks and steel structures during the renovation, and then allowed commercial tenants like cinemas to add creative elements on their own.

Mr. Xie, the park manager, told the author that Dongfang Cultural Creative Park, with the starting point of 'protecting industrial heritage and extending the urban context,' aims to rejuvenate historical spaces through the introduction of cultural and creative industries, creating a LOFT industrial-style cultural and creative industry cluster.

Dongfang Cultural Creative Park includes seven functional areas: cultural creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, cultural plaza, sports center, themed hotel, food and leisure, and supporting services. It covers four major industrial systems: hotel business, cultural creativity, leisure and entertainment, and supporting dining.

Currently, 38 enterprises have settled in Dongfang Cultural Creative Park, including cultural creative design and office studios, fitness centers, cinemas, wedding hotels, folk culture accommodation hotels, lifestyle service cafes, kindergartens, and parent-child reading and dining restaurants.

Strolling through Dongfang Cultural Creative Park, one often sees old-style tractors, tanks, and other local products that Luoyang people are proud of, as well as old objects left over from the old factory such as chimneys, water tanks, pipes, and bearings. They are all representatives of the city's industrial civilization and historical memories deeply rooted in the hearts of citizens.

Dongfang Cultural Creative Park is a perfect combination of the open space of old factories and the LOFT industrial style, endowing the new era with creative and sexy charm. It is a collision of old and new, a handover between reality and dreams.

The simple and unadorned industrial factory buildings have been transformed into dining spaces with unique retro charm. Eating here, perhaps food is no longer the only focus. Many visitors can't help but take out their phones and keep snapping photos in the park. At this moment, recording and sharing are undoubtedly joyful things.

Such a beautiful place, however, is hidden in the bustling city. Not to mention its high fame nationwide, even in Luoyang itself it is relatively little known. It is precisely because of its obscurity that it is so precious: beautiful scenery with few tourists, where visitors can freely enjoy and take photos at will, without worrying about crowds or long queues.

Dongfang Cultural Creative Park opened in 2019 and is still being continuously improved. A large number of cultural and creative enterprises are still moving in. It is believed that it will become more and more beautiful and worth visiting in the future, and will surely become a shining cultural business card for Luoyang. It is not an exaggeration to call it Henan's 798.