Some short stories in the Westernization Movement

When Zhang Zhidong first set up an iron smelting plant, he entrusted Xue Fucheng, the ambassador to Britain, to buy new foreign equipment. Xue told him that the new smelting equipment is used for acidity and alkalinity, and the samples of iron ore and coke used in the smelter should be sent to the manufacturer of the manufacturing equipment for testing before ordering. But Zhang replied that China has a vast territory and abundant resources, and there are no mines. Why send samples? Just buy one set. Results The equipment set by Xue did not match the mineral content of the mine used to set up the factory. When choosing the site, Zhang insisted on locating the site at the foot of Hanshan Mountain, far away from iron mines and coal mines, so that he could see the smoke from the factory chimney in his governor's office. Therefore, it not only greatly increased the operating cost of coal and iron, but also spent an extra 1 million yuan for site selection and factory construction. We know that in order to reduce production costs and improve economic benefits, industrial layout should consider how to get close to raw materials, fuel producing areas and consumer markets, so as to save transportation costs and reduce production costs. For the steel industry, it is especially necessary to consider the above factors. Zhang Zhidong violated this principle and caused great waste.

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