Canal 5: Turning Old Industrial Space Into a Happening Cultural Hub

History in a place like Changzhou and urban China has been bulldozed. But sometimes, old spaces are repurposed as a way to preserve them. Sometimes, this happens with old factory compounds. One such place in Changzhou is Canal 5. It's labeled as a "creative space." That label also fits. The place is filled with restaurants, performance venues, galleries and more. 

The place retains a very industrial vibe. There are lots of old machines sitting around.  However, there is also public art on display, too. 

Statues of tattooed westerners?

The Shakespeare statue is not as random as one might think. There is a theater nearby.

Not all of Canal 5 sports a bleak industrial look, though. The interior of the local history museum has a gold fish tank as a walkway.

The art gallery currently open has an intriguing exhibit of portraits. Only, they had no information on the artist. I have a Chinese friend currently looking into that, as it likely will be a future post on my Real Changzhou blog. 

And, of course, this is one of the areas of Changzhou where night life goes on.