Looking for the story of Zhengzhou National Cotton Factory

2020-9-18 Friday? Sunny

In May last year, I watched a CCTV documentary "24 Hours in the City" at home, the first episode of Zhengzhou.

Because Tu Xun went to school, I watched it especially carefully. Among them, "A cotton spinning road tells half of the history of Zhengzhou, and 6 national cotton factories record the glory of Zhengzhou" left a deep impression on me, and I thought about it if I had the opportunity. Going to see it.

In fact, on the day we went to the art museum, we saw a "Cotton Spinning Road" stop at the end of the B12 route sign at the bus stop, so we guessed whether it was the national cotton factory we wanted to visit, but we opened Baidu Maps I didn't see anything, so I decided to go as planned.

This morning, Dad Xun, who couldn’t sit still, suggested that we take the subway and go to a busy place. Where to go? After the subway had left two or three stations, Xun's father said that we should go down to Bisha Gang. There are parks and Greentown Plaza nearby.

As we were leaving the station, we discovered that there was the Fourth Cotton Spinning Factory at Exit D. With excitement and curiosity, we appeared at the door of a new modern building. Looking around, there is no trace of any large state-owned factory! Maybe this was just the old name of the old site. The National Cotton Factory had already turned into this high-rise building. I was inevitably disappointed, so I just walked away.

After walking less than a hundred meters, I suddenly saw a gate that was incompatible with the surrounding environment. It had four thick red columns and a green glazed dovetail top. I was shocked. We were not careful. Which scenic spot have you visited? When I looked up, I saw six big golden characters of "Zhengzhou National Cotton Factory No. 4", flanked by the slogan that encouraged production back then, "Strive for the top with full energy." Surprise, it’s really hard to find anywhere, it takes no effort at all!

I think it is necessary to describe the past and present life of the Zhengzhou National Cotton Factory:

In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were many wastes waiting to be developed.

From 1953-58, my country's first five-year plan, one of which was to invest 176 million yuan in the construction of a large-scale textile factory in Zhengzhou.

By 1958, the country had established five national cotton factories in Zhengzhou. Together with the newly reformed National Cotton Factory No. 2, there were six major national cotton factories in total. The address is now Zhongyuan District, a desolate place known as the western suburbs before the factory was built.

In the 1980s, the six major national cotton factories ushered in the most prosperous and glorious period in history.

The annual profits and taxes paid account for more than half of Zhengzhou's total tax revenue;

When the number of employees was at its highest, there were more than 100,000 workers, which greatly promoted the construction, development and prosperity of the Central Plains District. There are complete schools, hospitals, accommodations, as well as the Workers' Cultural Palace, the Youth Palace, etc.;

The income of cotton spinning factory workers is high and stable, and with subsidies, a cotton spinning worker can earn fifty or sixty yuan a month. People around them feel honored and proud to be able to work in cotton spinning mills and marry cotton spinning workers.

The girls in the textile factory were affectionately called "Sha Niu" by Zhengzhou citizens. At that time, "Sha Niu" was equivalent to today's white-collar workers. "Sha Niu" chose workers first, soldiers second, and small cadres last. At that time, the monthly income of small cadres was only twenty or thirty yuan.

In those days, jobs could be replaced. After the first generation of cotton spinners retired, their children became the second generation of cotton spinners.

In that era, Zhongyuan District became the most prosperous district in Zhengzhou.

In the 1990s, the country's cotton factories began to suffer continuous losses for 10 years. The long-term losses overwhelmed all aspects.

In 1998, the Second National Cotton Factory declared bankruptcy. A large number of textile workers began to be laid off and had to consider the issue of re-employment.

At the beginning of the 21st century, several major national cotton mills began to "restructure, reorganize, relocate and transform", and several major real estate groups successively acquired six major cotton spinning mills.

Today, we entered the Fourth National Cotton Factory and came out of the Fifth National Cotton Factory. The archway commemorating the glorious days of the cotton spinning factory is still there, but inside there are only rows of old family members after housing reform. buildings and dilapidated, dirty roads undergoing renovation.

There are various snack bars on both sides of the main road leading in. I found that every few family buildings are divided into small areas, and an iron gate is installed outside the small area for people to enter and exit. There are almost a group of carved round stone tables and benches placed outside each small area. Here, there are three or five ladies sitting around chatting, and there, there are six or seven uncles playing cards. It is hard to imagine that this place was once a place full of passion. and a place of drive.

We found a stone bench to sit down and rest, and asked the aunt next to us where the factory was. The aunt was a little wary and asked us what we were here for and what the factory did. After we explained our purpose, the aunt pointed out. Looking at the distance opposite to the gate, the factory area is over there, and the area where the new houses are built is.

We walked in this direction until we reached an intersection. There was a road sign above our heads. It turned out that this was Mianfang West Road, and there was indeed a brand new building at the other end of the road.

The six major national cotton factories that were once all-powerful were abandoned by the times in just thirty or forty years and became history. It is estimated that every Zhengzhou person at the time could not have predicted this.

As far as I know, the collapse of the Zhengzhou State Cotton Factory is by no means an isolated incident. In the 1990s, the wave of bankruptcies of state-owned enterprises swept across the country. I guess the reasons for the collapse are basically the same: the system is too big; the personnel are bloated; the costs are too high; management is poor; there are no useful systems and a lot of useless systems; there are no useful talents and useless people add chaos. Of course, what may be more important is the reform of the economic system, liberalizing the private economy and allowing free market competition.

I don’t know if the idea that a skinny camel is bigger than a horse is suitable in this era. Anyway, what I feel more sorry for are those working-class brothers who used to have no worries about food and clothing but still have a slight sense of superiority. How many people died overnight? Living a life without any security, running around looking for a way out. Because not only my parents, but also most of the elders in my family were part of the unemployed in that wave of bankruptcies.

As for me, as the next generation of the once glorious working class, I witnessed with my own eyes the scene where my parents and family elders were laid off to find their own way before I was old enough to take over.

I will always remember that during the glorious years of state-owned enterprises, they were full of vigor and high spirits, and were extremely motivated in everything they did. Those were the years when their passion was burning.

I remember even more that after being laid off, they were decadent, depressed, and full of conflicts. Then, he obeyed his fate, gritted his teeth and struggled to make a living. It is said that poor couples suffer from everything, but I would like to say that poor brothers and sisters also suffer from everything.

Many people are not truly relieved from this dilemma until they receive their retirement salary and start their retirement life.

So I think I can imagine what a difficult time those textile workers who were once proud of have gone through since then.

In front of the big machine of the country, we individuals are extremely small and insignificant existences. In many cases, our personal destiny cannot be controlled by ourselves. What we can do is only a small part.

Many people on the Internet say that until now, no matter how Zhengdong New District rises, there are still many people who have a deep "western suburbs sentiment." I think what they miss more is the glory and passion of the past.