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Shanghai's modernity draws the crowds. Vibrant daily life here is the city's warmest charm. This is Chunlo Village, the former residence of the well-known artist and writer Feng Zikai. For many years, families here struggled with tight spaces and shared facilities, but after 2-year restoration, this place has completely changed. Today, I'm going to visit residents to see how a 1 square meter upgrade transformed their lives. Originally designed as private villas, Chunlo Village eventually became an overcrowded community with over half of its residents being seniors.
The aging facilities and lack of privacy became a long-standing headache. Mrs. Liu, who has lived here for over 50 years, recalls how chaotic and inconvenient daily life used to be. There were two families on the ground floor and two upstairs, a total of four. So, one single house was actually home to 20 people. Imagine the morning rush, 20 residents competing for two toilets and one bathroom. In such cramped conditions, the humble chamber pot became an unavoidable part of life.
The restoration has resolved a major headache. The kitchen now allows four families to use it at the same time. And looking deeper into the space, every inch has been utilized. Originally, this was just a utility sink for washing dirty things. There was nothing up top. We added a toilet and an exhaust fan. Tired was how Mrs. Liu once described her life, but now those daily struggle and trivia are finally things of the past. This transformation stands as a testament to President Xi Jinping's deep commitment to improving people's well-being.
During his tenure in Shanghai from March to October 2007, Xi Jinping placed high priority on enhancing the people's livelihood. In June 2007, while conducting an inspection in Huangpu District, he emphasized the redevelopment of old areas must be steadfastly advanced. We cannot allow people to continue living in such dilapidated housing. Under his impetus, Shanghai intensified its redevelopment efforts. By July 2022, over 30 million square meters of dilapidated housing in central urban areas were redeveloped, benefiting 1.3 million households. By September 2025, the city successfully concluded its 30-year mission to eliminate chamber pots.
Before the major renovation, we held multiple public hearings to listen to residents and understand their needs. We addressed their most urgent issues, like shared kitchens and bathrooms, aging pipes, leaks, and the need to replace bathtubs with showers. But what they truly wanted most was to have their own private toilet, one toilet per household. Changle Village has inspired residents to help run their own community. Today is not just a great place to live, but also a popular tourist hotspot. Shanghai Yongye Group, the firm behind the restoration, put great effort into the project. Before the restoration, the street's original character was
severely damaged. We have completely rebuilt the exteriors and restored the original European style lintels. The team restored a neighborhood's French and Spanish architectural styles featuring mansard roofs, fish scale patterns, and iconic Shanghai plaster. They also paid special attention to the bathroom renovations. The original second floor bathroom was quite large, so we split it into a more practical layout. We created two bathrooms, one of which features a dedicated shower stall. With this classic look brought back to life and thoughtful designs for the elderly inside, Shandor Village stands today as both a guardian of history and a living, breathing community.
Young Yen, CGTN, Shanghai.
