Chenguang 1865 Science and Technology Creative Industry Park

The Old Main Gate dates back to 1865, when Li Hongzhang, then Viceroy of Liangjiang, petitioned the Qing court to establish the Jinling Machinery Manufacturing Bureau. Constructed with blue bricks and blending Chinese and Western architectural elements, the gate features a stone plaque above its lintel. It stands as a witness to the Self-Strengthening Movement and the dawn of China's modern defense industry. Having weathered more than 150 years, the well-preserved gate is now the park's most recognizable landmark, offering visitors a tangible link to the origins of Chinese modern industry.

Built in 1865 as the earliest core workshop of the Jinling Machinery Manufacturing Bureau, the Main Machinery Factory was used for firearms and artillery production. The building features a solid brick-and-timber structure with a pitched truss roof, exemplifying the localization of 19th-century Western industrial architecture in China. Renovated in 2010 and converted into the Jinling Arsenal Exhibition Hall, it displays weapons, machine tools, historical photographs, archival documents, and multimedia presentations that systematically trace the development of the Jinling Arsenal from the late Qing Self-Strengthening Movement through the Republican era. It is an essential window into the history of China's modern defense industry.

Constructed during the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns of the Qing Dynasty, the Right and Left Machinery Factories flank the Main Machinery Factory in a symmetrical "one center, two wings" layout. They originally handled cartridge assembly and parts machining, with auxiliary workshops added as production expanded. The buildings feature load-bearing unplastered brick walls, large-span interior spaces, and arched windows for ventilation and natural light. After preservation-oriented renovations, the two historic factories now house cultural and creative enterprises, where century-old industrial spaces meet modern creative industries—a vivid emblem of the park's transformation.

Built in the late Qing Dynasty, the Yan Copper Factory and Juan Copper Factory were dedicated copper-processing workshops within the Jinling Machinery Manufacturing Bureau. The Yan Copper Factory melted and cast copper ingots at high temperatures, while the Juan Copper Factory rolled copper sheets into specified dimensions, supplying raw materials for cartridge cases and copper components. Though smaller than the Main Machinery Factory, the buildings retain remnants of original furnace foundations and rolling equipment. Soot marks on the brick walls silently attest to the fiery, bustling scenes of the past. Now preserved as industrial heritage, they reveal the complete supply chain of the modern arms industry.

The Wood Factory Building and Large Machinery Factory are the two largest production building complexes in the Jinling Machinery Manufacturing Bureau. The Wood Factory Building originally manufactured gunstocks and wooden components, featuring a brick-and-timber structure with high ceilings and spacious interiors to accommodate lumber storage and processing equipment. The Large Machinery Factory handled forging and precision machining of heavy components, supported by a steel-framed roof structure—an advanced industrial building typology of its time. Both buildings are striking in appearance, with red brick walls and grey-tiled roofs. After renovation, they now serve as creative office and exhibition spaces, with original beams and columns retained so visitors can experience the spatial grandeur of 19th-century industrial architecture.

The Republic of China Office Building, constructed in the 1920s–1930s, is a two-story brick-and-concrete structure with a symmetrical facade, arched windows and doors, Western-style moldings, and an entrance portico. Its dignified and elegant style typifies Republican-era public architecture. The Sawtooth Factory, built in the same period, features a continuous sawtooth roof with north-facing glazing on each tooth—a European industrial design that admits even north light while avoiding direct sunlight that could affect precision work. The undulating sawtooth silhouette has become the park's most recognizable skyline. Together, the two buildings document the modernization and expansion of the Jinling Arsenal during the Republican era and now serve as corporate offices and art exhibition spaces.

Standing in the park's green space, the Anti-War Sculpture is one of the most thought-provoking public artworks in the Chengguang 1865 Park. Through abstract sculptural language, it expresses themes of anti-war and peace, combining imagery such as fractured shell casings, interlaced arms, and doves to symbolize reflection on war and a call for peace. The work resonates with the site's history as an arms production base—weapons manufactured here a century ago served war, while the same land now proclaims peace through art. Surrounded by trees in a tranquil setting, it has become a popular spot for visitors to pause, reflect, and photograph, embodying the spiritual core of the park.

The Bronze Buddha Hand Statue is placed in the park's landscape area, a large-scale bronze sculpture cast in the form of a Buddhist mudra (hand gesture). The fingers are gently curved with the palm facing upward in the abhaya mudra ("gesture of fearlessness"), symbolizing the dispelling of fear and the granting of peace. The sculpture is grand in scale and elegant in form, its bronze surface specially treated to present an antique patina that contrasts yet harmonizes with the surrounding red-brick factory buildings. Its installation reflects the park's cultural consciousness in transforming from military industry to creative culture, while also expressing a deep aspiration for peace. In morning light and evening glow, the Buddha Hand exudes solemnity and serenity, adding a touch of Zen and philosophical contemplation to the park.

Located at the geographic center of the park, the Central Square is the hub for visitor circulation, cultural events, and public gatherings. Paved with granite and open in scale, it is surrounded by renovated historic factories and modern buildings, showcasing the park's planning philosophy of "balanced preservation and adaptive reuse." At its center stands the "1865" numerical sculpture—four large metal digits in modern abstract form commemorating the founding year of the Jinling Machinery Manufacturing Bureau (1865, the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign). The sculpture's mirror-finish stainless steel surface reflects the sky and surrounding old factory buildings by day, and glows under illumination at night, making it the park's most iconic landmark and the most popular photo backdrop for visitors.