A hundred years of Shilongba represent half the history of Chinese hydroelectric power. Recently, reporters joined the "New Perspectives on State-Owned Enterprises: Wonders Among Relics" themed campaign, visiting the Shilongba Hydropower Station in Kunming, Yunnan, to produce integrated media content including short videos, vlogs, and micro-documentaries.
As China's first hydropower station, it filled a domestic gap in electricity generation, and more profoundly, it embodies the resolute spirit of self-reliance and determined progress of national industry. In the first workshop, standing before the century-old German Siemens generator sets, the roar of machinery still resonates powerfully across time. This 114-year-old industrial heritage continues to operate as a "living" relic, writing a century-long tale of Chinese hydro-power transforming from a follower into a global leader.
Construction of the Shilongba Hydropower Station began in August 1910, and it began generating electricity on May 28, 1912, with an initial installed capacity of 480 kilowatts. The station was spearheaded by Yunnan businessman Wang Xiaozhai, who recruited private investors to raise funds. Two 240-kilowatt generator sets were imported from Siemens in Germany. During construction, over a thousand craftsmen traveled from five provinces, hauling dozens of tons of equipment via sea, rail, and river. For the final 7-kilometer mountain stretch, more than 300 people and water buffaloes dragged the machinery over logs, a grueling journey that took over 40 days.
Three stone steles still stand within the station grounds. One, engraved with "Expenditure Verified," records every project cost down to the tiniest detail, even itemizing meal expenses to the "hao," China's smallest currency unit. Another, "Achievements and Names Eternal," lists the names of 116 engineers and master craftsmen, representing a permanent accountability system carved in stone.
From the late-Qing Dynasty push for industrial development to serving as the backbone of power supply through the arduous years of the War of Resistance, Shilongba has witnessed every step of Chinese hydro-power's evolution from nothing. During the war, it became China's largest power producer, with workers risking their lives to protect the machinery from Japanese bombing, supporting Kunming's emergence as the country's second-largest industrial base.
Today, while China's total installed hydroelectric capacity ranks first globally, Shilongba's centenarian units continue to operate and generate power daily. Listed as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit by the State Council in 2006, and added to China's Industrial Heritage Protection List in 2018, the station serves as a "living textbook" for Chinese hydro-power. In 2026, the Shilongba Hydro-Power Museum was designated a National Patriotism Education Demonstration Base.
The "New Perspectives on State-Owned Enterprises: Wonders Among Relics" campaign forms part of the "China at the Start: Showcasing Strengths, Exploring Heavy Machinery" media convergence project. This initiative is guided by the Cyberspace Administration of China's Online Communication Bureau, hosted by the SASAC News Center and World Wide Web, and supported by the China Internet Development Foundation's Positive Network Communication Fund.