High-end buildings and the ruins of historical protected buildings live next to each other, creating a unique landscape--A visit to the former site of Shanghai Mifeng Woolen Thread Factory

1. About the former site of Shanghai Mifeng Yarn Factory, a cultural relic protection unit in Shanghai City

No. 400 Shangboyang Road, Yangpu District, eastern Shanghai City, is the former site of Shanghai Mifeng Wool Factory. It is now a cultural relic protection unit in Shanghai City, because several old buildings still exist. See the description on the sign below for details.

I don't know who's fault, but the word Mifeng on the two brands is not the same. One is "Mifeng" and the other is "Mifeng".

At present, what passers-by can see are the following excellent historical and cultural buildings.

This is a building left behind and protected by the Mifeng Wool Factory seen at the intersection of Boyang Road and Neijiang Road. It should have been used as a warehouse in the past.

This is No. 400 Boyang Road, the original factory gate of the site.

Here is a look at the building from another perspective.

The sales office No. 1 East Bund is located on the ground floor along the street of the building, and the door of the sales office opens on Neijiang Road.

Below is the view of the side of the warehouse building seen through the gap in the iron gate.

Photos on the back of the building below need to be taken inside the community.

The building below is the former Mifeng Wool Factory, a relatively small historical protected building on the east side of Gate 400 of Boyang Road.

Don't look at this warehouse, which is almost "abandoned", but it has the following beautiful scenery in summer-the creeper on the facade of the entire building is quite beautiful. The scenery of the creeper begins to sprout in March every year, and leaves begin to fall in October. You can see it during this period. The most beautiful season is in summer.

Does it look like a dream secret realm like the Wizard of Oz? Does it feel like a "fairy tale castle"?

These photos were taken by me on the 11th China Cultural Heritage Day on June 11, 2016.

2. About Building No. 1 on East Bund

No. 1 East Bund is located in the East Bund plate of Yangpu District, with a total construction area of 100,000 square meters. It consists of 5 high-rise buildings with 28-33 floors and 1 conjoined villa. The total planned number of households is more than 800. The room types are diverse, from one to four rooms and duplex room types. One room is 58 and 72 square meters, two rooms are 92-125 square meters, the third room is 134-146 square meters, the fourth room is 161 square meters, and the duplex room is 200-300 square meters.

This is an introduction on Baidu. To put it simply, Building No. 1 on the East Bund is a commercial house developed on the former site of the Mifeng Yarn Factory. The four boundaries of the building are Neijiang Road, Boyang Road, Dinghai Road, and Liangzhou Road.

A few days ago, when chatting with the doorman of Mifeng Yarn Factory, I learned that the current average price of No. 1 East Bund is 94000 yuan/square meter. The building opened in 2012 and started selling at 24000 yuan/square meter. Only about one-fifth of the 880 houses have been sold so far.

After observing the houses from a distance around the community and entering the community to inspect the site, the building construction and community management all looked good and belonged to a mid-to-high-end building.

The only difference is that there are still several excellent historical buildings in the community that cannot be moved.

The three colored circles in the photo are the locations of the "excellent historical buildings". In addition to the warehouse, the building on the east side of the factory gate (i.e., the one within the yellow circle) looks okay; the villa in the orange circle has also been abandoned and has been surrounded by walls. The house number is No. 8 Neijiang Road. Several British rural garden villas were almost collapsed. It was dangerous for people to approach them, and their appearance had seriously affected the view. Therefore, the developer had to specially build a brick wall on the side of Liangzhou Road along the road, and use barbed wire fence on the side of the community. They also planted trees and bamboo on the inside of the wall and the inside of the barbed wire fence (that is, the side of the abandoned villa). The intention was obviously not to let outsiders and passers-by see them inadvertently.

When I was visiting the Mifeng wool factory, I saw the introduction on the sign and wanted to visit it. I didn't know if I didn't read it. I was shocked when I saw it. Thus, this travel note was born.

3. Inspection of abandoned British rural garden villas

The sign said so, so I went to find them separately and looked at them.

1. A detached English country garden villa

This detached British country garden villa is located at 8 Neijiang Road and was originally used as a senior staff residence.

Only the roof can be seen outside, and the rest is surrounded by external walls.

The window frames of the roof dorms are gone, let alone the glass.

Behind the villa is Building No. 1 on the East Bund.

Below is another facade, and the window frame of the roof dormer window is missing.

The house number on the gate is No. 8 Neijiang Road.

What you see through the crack of the door.

2. Two adjoining British country garden villas

Due to the "protection" measures taken, it is difficult for outsiders to see their true appearance and full picture.

That is the building in the blue circle in the picture. These two adjoining British country garden villas are entirely within the East Bund building, but they have been enclosed around them. One side near Liangzhou Road is enclosed with brick walls, and the other three sides are enclosed with barbed wire because they are inside the community. It is precisely because of the existence of these "protective" measures that it is difficult for people to access and see the whole picture. There is only one angle where you can see more, and that is the high-level view.

Within the walls, deep in the dense forest, are "hidden" two adjoining British country garden villas.

The road where the wall is located is Liangzhou Road.

Below is the appearance of some British country garden villas seen through the gaps between the trees. If you don't look, you will be stunned.

The tall building you see is Building No. 1 on the East Bund.

Almost all the window frames of the houses that could be seen were gone.

The following photos were taken when entering the No. 1 East Bund Community and approaching the British rural garden villa. Unfortunately, due to the barbed wire fence, the villa can only be viewed through the barbed wire fence, as well as "obstacles" such as trees and bamboo.

See the bamboo and branches first, and then the villa.

The sloping roof of the villa can already be seen into the sky.

The villas you can see through the barbed wire fence are not much different from the ruins.

Complete doors and windows, including window frames and door frames, are basically invisible.

4. Thoughts after viewing

1. Such a landscape is very special, especially when you see it in an international metropolis like Shanghai.

2. Excellent historical and cultural buildings cannot be demolished due to the protection of laws and regulations and can only be retained. However, it seems helpless to use this method to retain them.

3. This kind of protection method is actually to allow it to collapse naturally and lead to extinction.

4. This situation makes me summarize a phenomenon-protection, protection, protection but not protection, only protection but not protection.

5. I think residents living in this community will feel a little uncomfortable living with a pile of building ruins and zombie houses for a long time.

Old FU

First draft January 15, 2020