**The Legacy of Tianzhang Recording Paper Factory**
When it comes to century-old factories, the Tianzhang Recording Paper Factory is a name that resonates with history. Having spent a significant amount of time working in this venerable facility, I feel compelled to share its rich past.
**Origins and Early History**
The roots of Shanghai Tianzhang Recording Paper Factory can be traced back to the Yangshupu industrial belt, which originated from the Shanghai Machine Paper Mill. This mill was established in the eighth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1882) under the official supervision and merchant management approved by Li Hongzhang.
In 1882, visionaries such as Cao Zihui, Cao Zijun, and Zheng Guanying pooled together 155,700 taels of silver with the aim of establishing a Chinese machine paper-making enterprise. They submitted their plan to Li Hongzhang, the Beiyang minister, who granted approval. Consequently, they chose to build their factory at No. 408, Yangshupu Road, Shanghai, dubbing it the Shanghai Machine Paper Mill—the first paper-making enterprise established by Chinese businessmen.
**Equipment and Expansion**
The main equipment of this pioneering enterprise was a multi-cylinder fourdrinier paper machine with eight drying cylinders, produced by Leicester City, Easthampton Company in the United Kingdom in 1877.
In 1915, Liu Bosen rented and later acquired this factory, expanding his holdings by purchasing more of Baoyuan Paper Mill. In 1920, he bought the Huazhang Paper Mill from the Japanese Mitsubishi Company for 820,000 taels, naming it the east factory of Baoyuan Paper Mill. The original factory on Yangshupu Road became the west factory of Baoyuan Paper Mill.
In 1925, the mill was renamed Tianzhang Paper Mill Co., Ltd. In 1983, Liu Mengjing, son of Liu Bosen, cooperated with the Japanese, and the mill was temporarily renamed ‘Tianzhang Changji Paper Mill’. In 1947, the Kuomintang government redeemed the factory.
**Nationalization and Modern Era**
After liberation, the factory was nationalized and named Tianzhang Paper Mill. In 1981, Tianzhang Paper Mill merged with Shanghai Recording Paper Mill and was officially named Tianzhang Recording Paper Mill.
