Trippy

(some parts may not make sense since they refer to polish version of blog. Sorry :P)

After my recent blogger katharsis, I learn how to write anew. I emptied drafts, I emptied mind, I took a break, I can start again. I'm learning from others, reading forementioned Sebo (like relation from North Korea) or Filip (amazing Chinese Patrol, dude is driving around whole China on his tiny Chinese motorbike)

Furthermore Sebo was visited by someone, someone cool, someone you miss (hi someones). They showed us, me, what keeps people in Beijing, what is it here that despite AQI 300+, cab drivers trying to hit you on your green light, police guys "200rmb each one and you're free", guys with stick and guys with keys to your scooter, there are still many things worth mentioning, even in broken English style.

Anyway, today more directly slash touristic, closed steel factory.



Place was on my todo list for some time, but usually there was something else, more important. Recently tho I've heard that famous abandoned Wonderland was demolished before we were able to visit it, so no more screwing around, gotta go on a trip.


Idea was simple, we grab barbeque and we make a picnic, we start on Sunday morning, skip all jams (another side of city so it'd be around 3h with traffic). Life decided to say "ha! no!" and whole plan went to hell. Trip canceled.


Whatever, Sunday, after 1pm, we go out for breakfast. Pollution is bit above average, around 314, visibility more or less several dozen meters, surprisingly there's faint aroma of nearby trash in the air, weird, usually pollution kills every smell other than cars ex. Something's not normal. After quick chat from bowl of noodles we decide to try, let's see how it looks. No grill, no stuffs, halfway we realise we don't even know where're we going, where's entry and where's exit, we go and it'll be fine.


Shougang, steel factory from 1919, sitting on almost 9 square kilometeres, in her glorious days ('90) emplying almost 200k people (comparing, famous Polish mill was taking care of 40k). Inside factory's (?) grounds there was everything for their people, houses, hospitals, cinema, newspaper (Shougang Daily), restaurants with factory's brand of icecreams. Workers didn't had to leave area for months (from interview for "Global Times")



We arrive at the Point. Point is simply called "Shougang" and was given to us by soft voice with perfect tones from GPS. There's a gate in front of us, half open. After quick look it doesn't seem they have secuirty spikes, we decide to go in, if they try to stop us we'll just ignore it and go. Inside we realise we are in car wash place, we didn't had to worry. This will be our excuse for the day, in case we were stopped by security/police - "where's car wash?" Luckily (*cough*Hebe*cough*) car is dirty enough, it should work.


Driving a little deeper, it looks like we are, after all, in some part of factory, most of the buildings are closed and sealed, everything is quiet, plants are blooming, security guy is caring and watering vegetables for dinner, mood like from "I am legend", just without zombie.

We arrive at the square with loading crane, another car also arrived here, we don't disturb each others, there's enough empty space for everyone. Setting is wild, vehicle covered in plants, greens, gang of little nervous dogs (I drag Hebe closer to the car, just in case they are not as friendly as usual), security guy watching me climb the crane. We want more, we start searching.


Shougang become less popular at the end of 90is. Environmental concerns, enormous intake of water which Beijing never have enough, announcement in 2001 where the Olympics from 2008 will be held made Shougang Persona Non Grata. Step by step factory was moved to Caofeidian, 200km away from Beijing. Two years after Olympics, Shougang officially closed its gates.

Knowing that we are in good place, we start to explore. Looking at the maps it seems that going here and there, we'll be in mill's
center. A few moments and kilometer along the wall later, we arrive at closed gate, car won't squeeze. People though, on bicycles, scooters and other things, easily enter, so encouraged by them I go for a check. Behind gate booth, inside booth security dude taking a nap, behind booth massive metal construction. When I'm busy looking around, amazed (seriously, awesome view), security guy rolls to me and firmly, only a little bit drunkly, tells me to get lost. When I ask him can I take a pic (recently I'm a bit more sensitive around security), he points at new cam on the pole and says that sorry, cannot. You can see he don't care, he just don't want any trouble. I go back to car and use my secret weapon - I send Hebe for talks. Minute later she comes back, shows me couple of pics and tells me the news - foreigners cannot enter factory grounds, same with taking pics. There's another gate, main one, but I won't be let in. Daaaaaamn.

Shougang is closed but open. There are still people leaving inside, some of the halls are rented, some of them are still working, some of them are open for tourists (Chinese ones). Month ago in one of the places there was an electronic festival, "Intro". Place is far away from being dead. People stroll, walk the dogs and kids (in this order), ride the bicycles. Guards plants mentioned veggies, almost everything is covered in green. Looks like local gov is trying to gentrificate the place, advertising it as a new ground for art studios, animation companies etc, something like 798. Part of halls and factories will be kept intact and renovated, part will be shared as galleries and studios. Right now you cannot see it, there's still this feeling of destruction and abandonment.

Crossing the gate

We've great (as always) idea. Car has dim glasses, so I hide on back seat. We enter the main gate, police in front, looks more serious. Luckily, some truck is leaving, so they check them ignoring us. Yay! First 10 minutes in deep stress, when guard car drives nearby I almost run to car to drive away screeching, screaming that they will not take me alive!! Almost.

Area is enormous, what we saw at the beginning is just some fronton. We go to every place where we can fit, we enter almost the same, and yet there are still many places where we didn't even look. Many people are sightseeing, some looks like they live nearby, some are using rented bicycles. Many places are sealed, many open. This time surroundings resemble Walking Dead, grey/steel sky adds to the feeling of impending doom. I'm starting to have stupid ideas, but not this time, I need gloves.

We're inside for couple of hours, it's getting dark, one more time we do the trick with hiding at back seat, guy ignores us. In one place we don't even try, there's not one guy but three those scrawny dudes, sitting outside gate and blocking entry. Maybe next time. We find a square where there must've been huge hall, there's only concrete ground and flattened bases of poles. Someone's learning how to drive, someone's sitting with lighter and checking map. In the meantime I found my nemesis, I also notice public bus. Next time if they don't let us in through main gate then we'll enter with bus, or walk along train tracks, or helmet and scooter, there must be a way. When we exit, when I'm comfortably sitting in front (what, they'll kick us out?), police dude stops us and without warning opens back door, checking what we have. Fun fun fun.




It's getting late, time to wrap it up. I'm sure we'll be back, I'll be back, I hope that ladder is still there, that guard will be looking somewhere else, that gate was not that high, I help you, you help me, together we will see how this greydarkugly world looks from the top.


More pictures at polish version, I'm too lazy to copy them ;)