Forty-eight years ago, Shanghai's Jiangnan Shipyard, China's largest ship maker, manufactured China's first 12,000 ton-class hydraulic forging press, which had greatly improved China's ship building capacity. But only three year before that, the maker's annual ship building capacity was only something about 5,000 deadweight tons. Today the ship building capacity figure has increased a hundredfold.

Known as one of China's cradles of industry and "China's first plant", state-owned Jiangnan Shipyard was developed from its previous Jiangnan Machine Manufacturer in 1865. Over its 140 years of history, the world famous shipbuilder was deeply involved in the development of China's machinery and steel industries, along with its main line of shipbuilding.

Jiangnan Shipyard had been a major machinery manufacturer even before the founding of New China in 1949. Both China's first motor vehicle named "Huiji" and a 10,000 ton-class transport ship named "Guanfu" were born in the yard.

Since the founding of New China, Jiangnan Shipyard has made even greater contributions to China's national industry.

In the early years of New China, Jiangnan Shipyard built China's first escort ship for the navy, as well as a conventional submarine and guided missile destroyer. In civil fields, Jiangnan Shipyard produced China's first 12,000 ton-class hydraulic forging press as well as its first fleet of ocean liners, which included a 10,000 ton ocean-going vessel.

In the 1980s, Jiangnan Shipyard followed the country's policy of economic reform and opening up. By learning from advanced foreign technology, the shipyard began to make more specialized products. Now the yard makes dozens of ships for foreign countries including the US, Italy, Germany, and Singapore.

In recent years Jiangnan Shipyard has not only built ships for military and civil use, but also designed and manufactured large-scale steel structures such as the roof of the Shanghai Grand Theater.

In June 2008, Jiangnan Shipyard moved to its new shipping building base at Changxing island in Shanghai, the second largest shipbuilding base in the world.

A good example of China's national industry, Jiangnan shipyard continues to work hard to build a much better tomorrow for itself and for the country.

(CRIENGLISH.com September 18, 2009)