BEIJING, May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from
People's Daily
At the mouth of the Minjiang River in southeast China's Fujian province, the water flows calmly
without ripples. Nestled by the Luoxing Pagoda along the river
bank, the Fujian Navy Yard, also known as Foochow Arsenal, stands
as a precious industrial and cultural heritage site founded 158
years ago and a witness to China-France exchanges that have spanned over
100 years.
On May 5, Chinese President Xi
Jinping arrived in Paris for a
state visit to France. On the same day, a signed article by
President Xi titled "Carrying Forward the Spirit that Guided the
Establishment of China-France Diplomatic Relations, Working
Together for Global Peace and Development" was published in French
media Le Figaro. Xi said, "Over 150 years ago, French nationals
helped China found its Fujian Navy
Yard and the Fujian Naval Academy."
Transformed from a former shipbuilding warehouse of the Foochow
Arsenal, the Museum of Foochow Arsenal 1866, has now become a
"treasure trove" preserving the memories of the shipyard.
On the right side of an exhibition hall on the first floor of
the museum stands a French machine that is almost 160 years old,
discolored to a deep black over the passage of time.
"It's a slotting machine, also known as a vertical shaper, which
is used for cutting machine beds. Therefore, it is considered the
'mother machine' of modern industry," said Chen Yue, president of the Mawei shipyard
culture research association.
The memory of the slotting machine's return to the Foochow
Arsenal from Sanming city of Fujian province five years ago is still fresh
in Chen's mind.
"Marked with French inscriptions 'J.DUCOMMUN &CIE' and
'MULHOUSE 1867,' the slotting machine was likely one of the first
French machines imported by the Foochow Arsenal, a testament to the
century-long history of China-France exchanges," Chen told People's
Daily.
Chen has been dedicated to modern naval history for decades,
with a particular emphasis on the Foochow Arsenal's history.
"In 1866, driven by the dream of national rejuvenation, the
Chinese people established the Foochow Arsenal in Mawei,
Fuzhou. They built shipyards,
constructed warships, manufactured aircraft, established schools,
attracted talent, and developed the navy. The Foochow Arsenal has
become a frontier for China's
exploration of national rejuvenation in modern times," Chen
explained.
The Foochow Arsenal, carrying the mission to bring about a
change in modern China,
accomplished several groundbreaking milestones in the Chinese
history.
It established China's first
naval academy, nurtured the country's first modernized naval fleet,
and created the first large-scale shipbuilding industrial base of
modern China.
It constructed China's first
domestically built armored steel warship and manufactured the
country's first shipboard steam engine and first biplane trainer
for naval aviation.
Besides, the Foochow Arsenal also cultivated a large number of
modern talents in fields such as science and technology, military
affairs, diplomacy, education, and social sciences, including
figures like Yan Fu, Zhan Tianyou,
Gao Lu, Wei Han, Luo Fenglu, Chen
Jitong, Deng Shichang, and Sa Zhenbing. They made prominent
contributions to China's
modernization efforts.
René Viénet, a French scholar of modern Chinese history, called
the Foochow Arsenal an "oil field" of French historical memory.
Viénet, in his eighties, has been dedicated to studying the history
of China-France exchanges,
particularly the history of the Foochow Arsenal.
"Many 'firsts' in the history of China-France exchanges were born here: the
first sophisticated modern school in China, the first Chinese school where classes
were taught in French, and the completion of the first Chinese
translation of the French novel The Lady of the Camellias,"
Viénet said.
"The first superintendent of the Foochow Arsenal Prosper Marie
Giquel was also French. He assisted Zuo Zongtang in establishing
the Foochow Arsenal in Mawei, introducing modern machinery and
engineering personnel from France. The old slotting machine was an
example" Viénet noted.
"Xi's forward thinking ensured the protection of this invaluable
historical and cultural heritage for us," said Xie Zuomin, former
general manager of Fujian Shipbuilding Industry Group Company
Limited.
In April 1997, then deputy
secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee Xi Jinping
inspected the Mawei Shipyard, which originated from the Foochow
Arsenal.
At that time, plans were underway to construct a riverside
avenue that would pass through the Mawei Shipyard. The construction
would affect production and more importantly, may cause damage to
the century-old remains. Upon learning about this, Xi suggested
using an elevated bridge to minimize the impact on the
shipyard.
In 2016, the Mawei Shipyard was relocated to Culu Island of
Fuzhou, embarking on a path of
high-quality development. At the same time, its original site has
been fully protected and transformed into a cultural area.
Stepping into the cultural area, historical imprints of
China-France exchanges come into
view. The steam engine workshop, which was built in 1867 and
designed by French engineers, adopts the truss structure of modern
industrial workshops and is the birthplace of China's first practical steam engine.
Upstairs, the painting and design institute specializing in ship
drawing and design showcases a typical French decorative style.
Dozens of modern ship designers have emerged from there.
The enduring bond between the Chinese and French people,
originating from the Foochow Arsenal, has withstood the passage of
time and remains strong today.
In 2014, Laurent Fabius, then
French foreign minister, and Marie-France
Marchand-Baylet, president of the Groupe Depeche Foundation,
visited the Museum of Foochow Arsenal 1866 and the steam engine
workshop. Fabius presented a statue of Giquel to the Fuzhou municipal government in recognition of
Giquel's contributions to France-China exchanges. The Museum of Foochow Arsenal
1866 collected and exhibited the statue.
At the end of 2023, China's
first folding progressive multidimensional experience play "The
Glory Belongs to Foochow Arsenal" was officially performed in a
former maintenance workshop of the Foochow Arsenal. Viénet visited
China once again to watch the
play. This time, he brought to China two pieces of good news: the complete
compilation of Giquel's diary and the translation of Giquel's
memoir in cooperation with a Chinese scholar.
"We are preparing to establish a 'Friends of Giquel'
non-governmental association, aiming to connect with the
descendants of French nationals who worked for the arsenal and
Chinese students who studied in France, to carry on the century-long history
of China-France exchanges and
promote cooperation in the new era," said Wei Hui, the great-grandson of Wei Han, one of the first Chinese students of
the Fujian Naval Academy to study in France. His proposal has been supported by
many departments.
Today, construction is in full swing on the eastern side of the
Foochow Arsenal cultural area. A wide underpass has been put into
use, reconnecting the arsenal that was once divided by an elevated
bridge into two parts.
"With a focus on heritage preservation and cultural exhibitions
of shipbuilding relics, the Foochow Arsenal cultural area will
continue to develop a cluster of modern industrial museums, telling
the story of exchanges between China and other countries to the whole world,"
said Liu Jiangyuan, director of the management committee of
Fujian shipyard culture.
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