Anshan Old-Industry Life Memory Interview — Worker's Own Version (Case 15)
Description
A first-person Angang worker, born in the 1950s, who was assigned by his school in the 1970s to the medium rolling mill (中型厂), where he reported at 8 a.m. and worked as a stoker in the heating section. He experienced the unit as an all-encompassing provider — housing, canteen, bathhouse and hospital all came through the danwei. During the late-1990s restructuring he was reassigned (转岗); income was the change that affected him most, and he now only rarely keeps in touch with old colleagues. He keeps certificates and his work-ID at home, has never visited the Angang Museum or Meng Tai Memorial, and reflects thoughtfully on craftsmanship (工匠精神), the model worker Meng Tai, and the difference between his generation's sacrifice-driven work ethic and younger workers' insistence on clear boundaries. His message to the next generation is to be pure-hearted and sincere with others.
世代 / generation: 1950s (born 1950年代) · 身份 / role or relationship: Front-line operator (一线操作) at Angang medium rolling mill (鞍钢中型厂), heating section stoker; started work in the 1970s · 提及的物件与场所 / objects and places recalled: 奖状/证书 (award certificates / diplomas)；工作证/厂牌 (work-ID / factory badge)；a retirement-era keepsake kept at home showing the respondent himself (described on the object-registration card; no photo submitted)
In their own words selected highlights, verbatim, de-identified
钢铁工业的摇篮。 (The cradle of the steel industry.)
心地纯良，待人真诚。 (Be pure of heart and sincere with people.)
老一代，领导不走、自己不走，习惯牺牲休息，认为这是尽责任；年轻人，清晰划分上下班边界，反感内耗式消耗。 (The old generation: the leader doesn't leave so you don't leave, used to sacrificing rest, seeing it as duty; the young draw a clear line between work and off-hours and resent burnout-style attrition.)
Full interview parallel text
The complete question-and-answer record, in the order the respondent answered it (46 exchanges). The Chinese is the respondent’s own wording, transcribed from the photographed pages; illegible passages are marked 【难辨】 / [illegible] rather than guessed. The English is a working translation by the editor, not part of the source.
Left column: respondent’s Chinese, as written · Right column: editor’s working translation
问您大概是哪一代人？
QRoughly which generation are you from?
答1950年代
AThe 1950s
问您与鞍钢/相关单位的关系？
QWhat is your relationship to Angang / a related unit?
答本人在鞍钢
AI myself worked at Angang
问您当年大概做哪一类工作？
QRoughly what kind of work did you do back then?
答一线操作
AFront-line operation
问您大概在哪个时期参加工作？
QRoughly in which period did you start working?
答1970年代
AThe 1970s
问您愿意说说当时为什么进这个单位吗？
QWould you tell us why you entered this unit at the time?
答学校分配
ASchool assignment
问您还记得刚参加工作时的一天吗？带我从早到晚走一遍。
QDo you remember a day when you first started working? Walk me through it from morning to night.
答早晨8点到鞍钢中型厂报到，分配到加热工段，做一名烧火工。
AAt 8 a.m. I reported to the Angang medium rolling mill, was assigned to the heating section, and worked as a stoker.
问当时学技术主要靠什么？
QHow did you mainly learn the skills back then?
答师傅带
AA master/mentor taught me
问您觉得当年最重要的本事是什么？
QWhat do you think was the most important ability back then?
答能吃苦、经验、随机应变。
ABeing able to endure hardship, experience, and adapting on the spot.
问有没有书本上学不到、只能靠师傅或经验学到的东西？
QWas there anything you couldn't learn from books, only from a master or from experience?
答从书本上学不到，靠师傅传（带）等。【部分难辨】
AThings you can't get from books — you rely on the master to pass them down, etc. [partly illegible]
问「单位」对生活影响大吗？体现在哪些方面？
QDid the 'unit' greatly affect life? In what ways?
答住房、食堂、澡堂、医院
AHousing, canteen, bathhouse, hospital
问先用您自己的词：那时候大家对鞍钢/单位的感觉，像什么？
QIn your own words first: what did people's feeling toward Angang / the unit feel like back then?
答（自己的词）单位分配住房，解决了后顾之忧，吃喝拉撒全靠单位，看病有医院。／选：一份工作
A(own words) The unit assigned housing and removed our worries; everything in daily life relied on the unit, and there was a hospital for illness. / Choice: a job
问带我走进一个地方：澡堂、厂门口、车间、家属院……说说那里的样子、声音、气味、人。
QTake me into one place — bathhouse, factory gate, workshop, family quarters — describe its look, sounds, smells, people.
答（描述澡堂／车间等场景，铅笔字迹漫漶，多处难以逐字辨认）【难辨】
A(A description of the bathhouse/workshop scene; the pencil writing is faint and largely illegible word-by-word) [illegible]
问那段时间，单位或岗位有没有明显变化？
QDuring that period, was there an obvious change in the unit or post?
答一些变化
ASome changes
问您当时大概属于哪一类？
QWhich category did you roughly fall into at the time?
答转岗
AReassigned to another post
问单位一般怎么通知这些变化？
QHow did the unit usually announce these changes?
答开会
AThrough meetings
问当时对您影响最大的是？
QWhat affected you most at the time?
答收入
AIncome
问比一比：和您认识的另一种岗位的人相比，那几年你们俩受到的影响一样吗？
QCompare: versus someone you knew in a different kind of post, was the impact on you two the same in those years?
答有变化，技术之类比一线之类要高。【部分难辨】
AThere were differences — technical roles ranked higher than front-line ones. [partly illegible]
问岗位变化后，您或身边同事一般去了哪里？
QAfter the job change, where did you or nearby colleagues usually go?
答其他厂/相关行业
AOther plants / related industries
问以前学到的本事，后来还有用吗？
QWere the skills you learned before still useful afterward?
答用处不大
ANot much use
问哪些本事容易带到别的工作里？
QWhich abilities are easy to carry into other jobs?
答【难辨】（似与情绪／待人打交道相关，难以确认）
A[illegible] (appears to relate to interpersonal/emotional skills; cannot confirm)
问哪些本事离开原单位就用不上了？
QWhich abilities become useless once you leave the original unit?
答有些技术离不开原单位，能转到别的后勤服务。【部分难辨】
ASome technical skills are inseparable from the original unit; one could move into other logistics/service work. [partly illegible]
问如果有人离开鞍山去外地，您觉得最难适应的是什么？
QIf someone left Anshan for elsewhere, what do you think is hardest to adapt to?
答生活习惯与语言隔阂。
ALiving habits and the language barrier.
问遇到岗位变化时，谁对您帮助最大？
QWhen facing the job change, who helped you most?
答单位组织
AThe unit organization
问大家会互相介绍工作、打听消息、互相照顾吗？
QDid people introduce jobs to each other, share news, and look after one another?
答互相照顾。
AThey looked after one another.
问有没有老同事聚会、同学聚会、饭局、微信群帮大家联系？
QWere there reunions, dinners, or WeChat groups keeping people connected?
答有。
AYes.
问您觉得是正式渠道帮助大，还是熟人/老同事帮助大？
QDid formal channels help more, or acquaintances/old colleagues?
答都有
ABoth
问您现在还和老同事联系吗？
QDo you still keep in touch with old colleagues?
答很少
ARarely
问您去过鞍钢博物馆、孟泰纪念馆或类似的地方吗？
QHave you visited the Angang Museum, Meng Tai Memorial, or similar places?
答没去过
ANever been
问您觉得这些地方能让年轻人了解以前的工厂生活吗？
QDo you think such places let young people understand past factory life?
答不好说
AHard to say
问您觉得现在年轻人还了解「钢城」这段历史吗？
QDo you think today's young people still understand the 'Steel City' history?
答不好说
AHard to say
问您家里是否还保存和工作有关的东西？（可多选）
QDoes your home still keep work-related items? (multiple choice)
答奖状/证书、工作证/厂牌
AAward certificates/diplomas; work-ID / factory badge
问您的孩子或晚辈有没有进入钢铁、机械、工程、制造相关工作？
QHave your children or juniors entered steel, machinery, engineering, or manufacturing work?
答不方便说
APrefer not to say
问您当年希望孩子继续进类似单位吗？
QBack then did you hope your children would enter a similar unit?
答当时没想那么多
AI didn't think that far at the time
问您会给孩子讲以前单位里的故事吗？
QDo you tell your children stories from the old unit?
答偶尔
AOccasionally
问您给下一代最想说的一句话是什么？
QWhat one sentence would you most like to say to the next generation?
答心地纯良，待人真诚。
ABe pure of heart and sincere with people.
问您觉得年轻一代和您这一代，对「单位/稳定工作/技术工人」的看法有什么不同？
QHow do the younger generation and yours differ in views on 'the unit / stable work / skilled workers'?
答老一代，领导不走、自己不走，习惯牺牲休息，认为这是尽责任；年轻人，清晰划分上下班边界，反感内耗式消耗。
AThe old generation: the leader doesn't leave so you don't leave, used to sacrificing rest, seeing it as fulfilling duty; the young draw a clear line between on- and off-work hours and resent burnout-style attrition.
问先不看选项：如果用一个词形容以前的鞍钢/老单位，您会用哪个词？为什么？
QWithout looking at options: what one word would you use for the old Angang / old unit, and why?
答钢铁工业的摇篮。
AThe cradle of the steel industry.
问您觉得这段经历中，最该被年轻人记住的是什么？
QWhat from this experience should young people most remember?
答工匠精神、孟泰。
AThe craftsman's spirit, and Meng Tai.
问您觉得像我这样的年轻人，最容易误解你们那一代人的地方是什么？
QWhere do young people like me most easily misunderstand your generation?
答沟通困难。
ADifficulty communicating.
问今天有没有哪部分您希望我不要记录、不要引用，或引用前必须再问您？
QIs there any part today you want unrecorded, unquoted, or re-checked before quoting?
答不确定
AUnsure
问整理好后，您想先看一遍再决定是否公开吗？
QOnce compiled, do you want to review it before deciding on publication?
答不用
ANo need
问以后若需要补充访谈，您是否愿意通过介绍人再联系？
QIf a follow-up interview is needed, are you willing to be re-contacted through the introducer?
答不确定
AUnsure
问您是否愿意日后接受一次更深入的访谈，把您的故事更完整地记录下来？
QWould you be willing to give a deeper interview later to record your story more fully?
答愿意
AWilling
问照片/物件登记卡 · 上面是谁？
QObject registration card — Who is in/on it?
答本人
AMyself
问照片/物件登记卡 · 在哪里？
QObject registration card — Where?
答家
AHome
问照片/物件登记卡 · 是什么场合，或在做什么？
QObject registration card — What occasion / doing what?
答退休
ARetirement
Significance to the comparison
The Anshan side of the comparison, in a first-person voice: how the danwei (work-unit) organized a whole life, what the 1990s restructuring did to it, and whether the next generation stayed or left. It is the lived-memory counterpart to the paper's question about what lets an industrial community absorb a transition.
Provenance
- Field collection
- Paper questionnaire (职工本人版) completed voluntarily in Anshan, 2026; photographed page by page; transcribed and de-identified for the archive. Original held privately.
Evidence media
- Completed paper questionnaire, 18 photographed pages; 46 question-and-answer exchanges transcribed verbatim (original held privately).
Sources two independent sources, each resolving
- Anshan field collection questionnaire response, 2026 (original held privately).
- Steel & Oil archive field instrument (职工本人版), 2026.
Tim Qiao, ed., “Anshan Old-Industry Life Memory Interview — Worker's Own Version (Case 15),” Steel & Oil: Anshan–Houston Industrial Memory Archive, OHS-AS-114, version 0.2 (field-collected, Anshan, 2026). Citation formats and the stable-identifier scheme →