Factory 798 was an aid project financed by the Soviet Union during the period of the international communist movement in the 1950’s. It was formerly a top secret military factory for the newly born People’s Republic of China. It was in this factory that many key components of the first Chinese domestic-made atomic bombs and the first Chinese man-made satellite were made. During the 1990’s, several factory buildings were abandoned because of their low productivity. However, the German Bauhaus architectural style of the factory attracted artists who needed big studio spaces. Sui Jianguo, a Professor from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, was the first one who moved into 798. The film traces the history of the building and it’s artists both local and foreign, to the present day, when we see Sui Jianguo, the first occupant moving out.
