User:MAYUXUAN/Former Site of Jinan Station of Jinpu Railway

The old site of Jinan Railway Station on the Jinpu Railway was originally located in the northeast corner of the former commercial port in Tianqiao District, Jinan City, Shandong Province. Locals commonly referred to it as the "Old Train Station". Construction of the station began in 1908 and was completed in 1912. The architect behind the design was Hermann Fechner, and it features typical German Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) style. Along with the surrounding Jinan Railway Bureau and Railway Hospital, the station formed a grand German-style architectural complex. As an important symbol of the past in Jinan, the station witnessed the changes of the commercial port and even the entire city.

Amidst the opposition from the citizens of Jinan, the station building was demolished by the government in July 1992, citing the reason of "eliminating colonial symbols". A new station building was subsequently built on the original site, but its design was not well received and instead created the impression that "only Europeans can build beautiful designs", which went against the original purpose. After the demolition of the old Jinan Railway Station, Jinan has been repeatedly named as a negative example in various academic conferences on cultural heritage preservation. Critics have denounced Jinan's actions as forgetting its history of being influenced by foreign powers, rather than facing it courageously and using it to revitalize the city. They believe that the old railway station, which served as a transportation hub, did not have much political significance, but it carried the memory of Jinan's modern urban development for over a century. Therefore, they argue that local leaders blindly destroyed a valuable historical building, cultural heritage and tourist attraction that China possessed. Subsequently, the voices calling for reconstruction grew louder as Jinan citizens recognized their mistake. However, this also sparked debates on whether the reconstruction could be faithful to the original and the appropriateness of the reasons for reconstruction. The United Daily News also reprinted the evaluation of the official Chinese newspaper "People's Daily", which regretted that the incident had caused irreparable damage, and suggested that a memorial monument should be built on the original site to protect the heritage. The rash demolition event is a profound lesson, reminding future generations not to repeat the same mistakes.