Cover of the original Dasheng Cotton Mills records. [Photo/ourjiangsu]

Experts from China, South Korea and the United States convened in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province on Nov 4 to discuss the meaning of Zhang Jian and Dasheng Cotton Mills to the world.

This year marks the 170th birthday of Zhang Jian (1853-1926), an honored Nantong native. The meeting is part of the seventh Zhang Jian International Symposium organized by Nanjing University and the Jiangsu Provincial Zhang Jian Research Society.

Dasheng Cotton Mills records are about the efforts of Zhang, his entrepreneur team, and their successors to develop industries, promote education, and support the establishment of public welfare, according to Chen Haibing, curator of the Nantong Municipal Archives.

Chen noted that the records are a testament to China's transition from a traditional to a modern society in the late 19th century and also showcase the exploration of Chinese industries in their early stages.

He added that the records of the Dasheng Cotton Mills in their early days (1896-1907) were added to the Asia/Pacific Memory of the World Register by UNESCO last year.

The participating experts delivered a report at the meeting, and on the following day 15 authors of relevant papers made speeches.

After the meeting, participants visited the former site of the Dasheng Cotton Mills, which were built by Zhang Jian in 1896.