As dusk falls, the towering red-brick chimney is illuminated with neon lights spelling out "Zhengzhou Memory." Beneath the glow, an open-air stage hosts lively music and dance performances, while crowds flock to creative market stalls. The Zhengzhou Oil and Chemical Factory, with over 70 years of history, has been transformed into a new urban cultural landmark blending historical memory with contemporary consumption.
Built in 1952, the Zhengzhou Oil and Chemical Factory was once Henan's largest detergent production base and one of the first Soviet-aided projects established after the founding of New China. Its products, including "Zhongzhou" brand soap and "Flower" brand scented soap, were highly popular for a time. After the factory ceased operations in 2006, the overgrown site became an "idle space" in the city's development.
In 2019, through government guidance, enterprise participation, and market-oriented operations, the old factory underwent nearly three years of renovation and enhancement while preserving its original character. It has now been transformed into a national-level tourism and leisure block, attracting over 30,000 daily visitors on average.
"Everywhere you look there are old buildings, yet it's filled with a youthful vibe," said Wu Huashan from Hebei, who visited Zhengzhou with friends during the New Year holiday. Following frequent recommendations on social media platforms for visiting Zhengzhou, they came to the Oil and Chemical Factory. "It happened to snow that evening in Zhengzhou - every photo turned out perfectly. Combined with the lights and music in the park, the atmosphere was absolutely magical."
Walking through the park, history and reality converge: Soviet-style warehouses have been upgraded into the Dome Art Center, old production lines have become a "Soap Museum," soap storage tanks have transformed into rock music stages, and concrete pipes have been repurposed as music markets. Through careful decoration by shop owners, every industrial relic in the park is infused with urban vitality.
Within coffee shops, barbecue restaurants, small bars, and industrial exhibition halls, visitors stream in continuously to experience consumption opportunities and take commemorative photos. They move between beautifully decorated shops and vintage industrial objects, where human warmth and market vitality merge seamlessly.
"The urban vibe, sense of fashion, and artistic atmosphere are key factors attracting young people to visit the park," said Cao Xinhe, General Manager of Zhengzhou Memory 1952 Oil Chemical Factory Creative Park. Currently, the park hosts over 230 boutique shops and hundreds of market stalls covering cultural creativity, technological innovation, entertainment dining, artistic performances, and immersive experience theaters.
Focusing on developing a "five-senses" economy around what can be eaten, seen, heard, smelled, and experienced, the park has gradually become a destination for young people visiting Zhengzhou. During the 2026 New Year holiday, the block attracted over 250,000 visitors with revenue exceeding 11 million yuan.
"Industrial heritage serves as a precious link connecting past and future, representing a unique cultural tourism resource," said a relevant official from Zhengzhou's Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau. The successful establishment of several cultural creative parks including Zhengzhou Oil Chemical Factory and Zhengzhou No. 2 Sand Factory has gradually formed new pathways for Zhengzhou's cultural tourism development, achieving good results in attracting younger demographics.
In recent years, Zhengzhou has prioritized the development of cultural and scientific innovation parks as important initiatives, deeply implementing the development concept of humanistic economics. By thoroughly exploring and utilizing resources such as historical culture, urban stories, and distinctive architecture, the city organically integrates its profound cultural heritage with warm urban atmosphere to create new consumption scenarios.
"I'm not just making gourds - I'm creating 'emotional companions,' hoping each piece brings people happiness," said Qi Heyao, a "post-00" stall owner introducing her handmade decorative gourds to customers at the creative market near the park's west gate plaza. "There are many young people in the creative park with a relaxed atmosphere. Many customers even actively provide me with creative inspiration."
"The transformation of industrial 'rust belts' into cultural 'showplaces' not only adds cultural symbolism to the city but also creates new landmarks for urban culture, new scenarios for cultural tourism consumption, and new venues for leisure entertainment," said Wang Zhenjun, Director of Zhengzhou University's Cultural Industry Research Center. He noted that a city's old factories and buildings represent not only substantial industrial heritage but also indispensable historical memories in urban development - serving not just as physical spaces but as humanistic spaces carrying stories of work, study, life, and struggle.
When industrial memories are awakened, what ignites is not just urban vitality but also a city's cultural confidence and developmental momentum facing the future. Driven by the dual engines of humanistic and economic development, new narratives are being written within old factory buildings, adding unique charm to urban development.
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