Old Site of Shanghai Alcohol Factory

The old site of the Shanghai Alcohol Factory is located at No. 200 Nanmatou Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. It is now the modern architectural complex of the Shanghai Solvent Factory and was listed in the China Industrial Heritage Protection Directory in 2019. There are currently 9 European-style villas and industrial relics preserved. The alcohol factory was established in 1933 by Indonesian Chinese immigrants Huang Zongxiao and Huang Jiangquan in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry of the Nationalist Government. Production began in December 1934, making it the largest and most technologically advanced alcohol production enterprise in the Far East at the time, ending China's reliance on imported alcohol. It used British equipment and the Amyl Alcohol blending method, producing 30,000 liters of alcohol daily with a purity of 96.7%. During the Battle of Shanghai in 1937, it was bombed and damaged by the Japanese army. After the war, it was taken over and restored by patriotic Chinese immigrant Dong Yinchu. In 1954, it was reorganized as the Shanghai Solvent Factory. The buildings feature red brick walls and red tile pitched roofs, originally serving as dormitories for senior management and staff, and are now part of the Shanghai World Expo Intercontinental Hotel.

Post by Prof. Lelah Ledner | Jul 26, 2025