Guest House of Anshan Showa Steel Works

In July 1949, the command to restart China’s largest steel engine echoed from a quiet, two-story brick-and-concrete building at No. 21 Yingbin Street. This structure, shaped like an inverted "T", was built in 1933 under the Japanese-run Showa Steel Works. It began as a private residence for the general manager and an exclusive club where executives danced in high-ceilinged ballrooms.

The building spans 50 meters from east to west and 48 meters from north to south, rising seven meters above a cool basement level. Inside, the original deep-red wooden handrails still curve up the staircases. In 1949, national leaders like Dong Biwu, Lin Feng, and Zhu De slept in these rooms. Here, Zhu De dipped his brush in black ink to write the official name of the Anshan Iron and Steel Company, his hand moving across paper in the quiet of the high-ceilinged study. Four years later, in 1953, engineers gathered in these same rooms, drafting blueprints and organizing the launch of the company's "Three Major Projects." In 1958, during a critical push for steel production, Li Fuchun stood in the main lobby, addressing a crowded room of cadres to rally their spirits.

By the 1960s, the building hosted the local municipal standing committee meetings. In 1986, the space transitioned into an office and activity center for retired steelworkers. Today, the building is recognized as a national-level protected historical site. Outside, a mature pear tree planted decades ago still grows in the front yard, dropping its fruit onto the pavement each autumn. The building remains in active use, its quiet corridors carrying both the memory of industrial command and the soft chatter of retired workers.