CAOYANG residential area was the first workers’ housing project in Shanghai. For the residents, this was the home where they shared many happy memories as well as went through hard times.

The residential area is among the historic buildings featured in an exhibition under way at the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center through the middle of August.

As a solution to living condition problems faced by many thousands of workers, the first phase of the Caoyang residential area was built in seven months from 1951 to 1952. Originally only one residential quarters with 48 two-story residential buildings, it now consists of nine quarters with a total of 718 two- to six-story buildings as well as high-rise commercial residential buildings. More than 100,000 people are living in the area of 2.14 square kilometers in Putuo District, including locals and migrants.

Putuo used to be a district with heavy industry and a large population of workers. Living conditions were crowded, simple and crude. On June 29, 1952, at a celebration meeting in the new residential area, Pan Hannian, then deputy mayor of Shanghai, said that Caoyang was just a beginning, and that the city would continue to construct more residential buildings for workers in other parts of the city.

Living in Caoyang

The first group of residents were mostly model workers. For them, the chance to move into the village was something honorable.

Tang Jinbo, now 67, was among the first group of residents to move in Caoyang residential area. He was 5 years old, and before his family of four moved in, they were living in a 10-square-meter room by Suzhou Creek that was small and dark. In 1952, his father who was the chief of the supply department at Huatong Switch Factory was given an apartment with a room and a half in the first phase of Caoyang residential area. The family was thrilled at having two rooms and tap water.

Tang remembers how his relatives living in Hongkou District would come to visit and not want to leave, and that tourists from other countries came to Caoyang to visit and buy hairy crabs.

Tang and his neighbors all had a strong sense of honor and glory when they moved into the area, and the strong sense of belonging and encouragement influenced one generation after another.

Conditions at Caoyang residential area now are no match for the new and modern residential buildings, with wooden stairs creaking and the shared space messy and aged. But the sentimental value of the village is important to the residents.

Besides tenants who rent the apartments, most of the residents are seniors. “One thing is that they are reluctant to leave this old neighborhood and familiar environment, another thing is the financial limitations keeping them from moving to better communities,” Tang said.

Many residents hope Caoyang can be renovated to have better facilities and living conditions like modern communities. But because they are considered outstanding historical buildings, changes cannot be made at will. Exteriors cannot be changed, for example, and ceilings cannot be raised.

Six decades ago, the homes were a huge improvement from the residents’ former places, but now some apartments have become a slum. The community though is taking measures to improve the residential environment. Now most homes have their own bathrooms, and while they are small, residents no longer have to share with other.

The layout

The design of the community was way ahead of its time. Instead of building large neighborhoods using a symmetry axis layout similar to the Soviet Union, Caoyang used the neighborhood unit concept from America in the 1920s. That meant at least 10 percent of the land was used as public space or parks and open space between every three buildings.

The first residential quarters was centered on the primary school, and whether residents needed to go to the hospitals, parks or kindergartens, residents could walk to any public facility within eight minutes. There remain farmer’s markets, cinemas, libraries and swimming pools in the community to accommodate all needs of the residents.

“Even now, a community with this kind of complete supporting facilities is still quite rare,” said Zhu Xiaoming, associate professor in architecture at College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University. “They say Shanghai needs to have a park every 500 meters and bus stop within five minutes of walking; all these was realized in Caoyang long since.”

In the actual planning of Caoyang residential area, 40.82 percent of the land was used for residential buildings, 17.4 percent for public buildings, 29.14 percent for public green spaces and 12.64 percent for streets.

Twenty years ago, Caoyang residential area launched a program, “One Day as Caoyang People,” to introduce international tourists to the daily life of Shanghai people. Instead of traditional sightseeing, the visitors can be involved in local activities and events, including visiting a wet market and shopping for produce or watching traditional song and dance performances.

The residents in Caoyang act as host families for these tourists, cooking one Chinese meal as well as teaching them how to make dumplings or wonton. Though most of the tourists are seniors, occasionally there are student groups.

“It’s a very fun thing to do because you meet people from all around the world,” says Yi Zhiyan, whose family is very active in the program. As “folk diplomats,” the host families not only cook for tourists but also tell their stories and spread goodwill.

Caoyang is not only an architectural heritage, but also a community of living history, showing how people came and had families from one generation to another. It is also a window into China, and a vivid example of how China is changing in every aspect of social life.

At the museum exhibition, Caoyang residential area can be seen along with other, more aged and renowned buildings such as those on Wukang Road and Huaihai Road.

Date: Through August 17, Tuesday-Sunday, 9am-5pm

Admission: 30 yuan

Venue: Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center

Address: 100 People’s Ave