Three Units Express Interest in Collecting the "Beijing South" Old Station Signs

April 23 report on Page A5 of the Beijing Youth Daily

April 23, 2019, Beijing Youth Daily

Follow-up

Our Staff Report (Reporter Cui Yifei): On April 23, following our publication of the report titled "Wandering for Over a Decade, Old Station Signs of Beijing South Station Hope for a New Home," it sparked widespread social concern. Beijing Youth Daily reporters learned yesterday that Jingtie Jiayuan Community Railway Museum, the Capital Museum, and the Beijing South Station Area Management Committee have successively contacted our newspaper, expressing their intention to collect the old Beijing South station signs.

In 2009, Guo Yue's friend, a railway enthusiast, discovered two wooden old Beijing South station signs at a scrap recycling yard near Beijing South Station. Recognizing the historical value of this well-known Beijing landmark, on the night of December 12, 2009, Guo Yue and his partners drove to transport the station signs to their home for safekeeping. Recently, Guo Yue's home began renovations, and the two station signs faced a dilemma of having nowhere to be displayed in the future. He still hoped to donate them unconditionally to relevant units. To this end, he and his partners had previously contacted Beijing South Station, the China Railway Museum, and other units, but no one was willing to accept them. On April 23, Beijing Youth Daily published the report "Wandering for Over a Decade, Old Station Signs of Beijing South Station Hope for a New Home."

On the day following our newspaper's report, Jingtie Jiayuan Community Railway Museum, the Capital Museum, and the Beijing South Station Area Management Committee successively contacted Beijing Youth Daily, expressing their willingness to collect the old station signs. However, Guo Yue only has two old station signs in his possession. He believes that if the two signs can be donated to different units, they will generate even greater social value.

According to Beijing Youth Daily reporters, Guo Yue has already agreed with the Collection Acquisition Group of the Capital Museum that one of the old station signs will be donated to the Capital Museum and handed over in the near future. The destination of the other station sign is currently under negotiation.

Mr. Jin Wanzhi, the founder of the Jingtie Jiayuan Community Railway Museum and Vice Chairman of the China Railway Museum and Cultural Relics Committee, introduced that the Jingtie Jiayuan Community Railway Museum is located within Jingtie Jiayuan, Fengtai District, and was established in 2008. Most of the community residents are railway workers and their families, among whom there are quite a few retired workers from the old Beijing South Station. Therefore, he hopes that one old station sign can enter the collection of the community railway museum at Jingtie Jiayuan, and at the same time, he hopes to express his gratitude to Guo Yue and his partners in person.

Upon learning that multiple units were interested in collecting the old station signs, Jin Wanzhi stated that the Capital Museum and the South Station Management Committee have higher official standing; if the old station signs can be properly protected, the community railway museum is willing to step back in line. Beijing Youth Daily will continue to follow the whereabouts of the old station signs.