Hongxia

Overview

Once the site of China's early tech industry, Jiuxiangiao is now a 'shanty area' slated for urban renewal. Residents recall how the area grew into an advanced electronics district in the 1950s, as part of the Chinese government's first Five-Year Plan for social and economic development. With support from the Soviet Union, factories began producing China's first home grown large scale computers and telephone switchboards. The Hongxia was built as part of a network of amenities including a ballroom and gaming arcade, all intended to enrich the cultural lives of workers. There were onsite nurseries at factories, free swimming pools and the cinema, where entry was free or five cents at most. As interviewees mourn the loss of these services, developers are knocking. 'To tear this place down and build skyscrapers - it makes my heart ache!' laments Wei Guotian, the theatre's former manager.