The Foundry Capital in South China

The traditional foundry industry in Jiahe County has been handed down from generation to generation and has gone through more than 300 years. In the peak period, there were nearly 500 foundry and forge companies in Jiahe. With an annual output of about 1 million tons of casting products, it ranks first in Hunan Province, China. Jiahe was awarded as The Foundry Capital in South China and The Forge Hometown of China. In recent years, Jiahe has vigorously implemented the strategy of rejuvenating the county through science and education, and has paid close attention to skill training and the cultivation of middle and high-level skilled personnel. It has successively established Vocational Special or Technical Secondary School, Entrepreneurship Training Center, The Training Base of the Foundry Capital in South China and Jiahe Branch of the Foundry College of Open University of China to provide technical support for the development of the foundry and forge industry.

Here are the development history of foundry and forge industry in Jiahe:

In 1800, the villagers in Tiangangtou, Yuanjia Town, partnered to cast production and living appliances such as plowshares, iron pots, etc. The foundry started from now on. 

In the early 1950s, casting skills were widely spread in Yuanjia(袁家), Chengguan(城关), Tangcun(塘村) and other places. The closed door of casting was gradually opened.

After years of development, by the 1970s, Jiahe had been able to cast various small mechanical parts and accessories for larger products such as lathes and planers.

In the late 1980s, Jiahe’s foundry industry developed further. Casting products have shifted from single production and living appliances to cast iron, cast copper, cast aluminum and various mechanical parts.

In the 1990s, Jiahe founded the Street of Foundry Industry beside Yuanxi River in Yuanjia Town. Foundry companies began to shift to scale, modernization and industrialization. The main products are large-scale casting products such as machine tools, mechanical accessories, shipbuilding, etc., which are sold all over the country and some products are exported abroad. From then on, the casting went to the whole country and the world.

In 2018, foundry and forge enterprises completed a total foreign trade import and export volume of 15.44 million US dollars. The year-on-year growth was 37.2%, and the growth rate ranked second in the city.

In February 2020, there are 150 industrial enterprises above designated size in Jiahe, of which 118 are forge and foundry enterprises. The annual output of casting products is about 1 million tons and exported to more than 50 countries and regions.

Jiahe’s foundry, which has accumulated more than 300 years of history, is carrying out the trend of reform and opening, and has burst out a strong vitality. The ancient traditional skills are full of vitality and serve all aspects of modern life.