Where the ‘Sun and Moon Mansion’ stood, Changlecun finds a new life
Print Edition
EVERY day at 11am, foreign tourists arrive at Changlecun, a nearly 100-year-old historical villa compound at the intersection of Shaanxi Road S. and Changle Road in downtown Shanghai’s Huangpu District.
With a guide, they come in small groups of four, walking slowly and speaking in low voices to avoid disturbing residents. They look up at the red bricks, the mansard roofs and the wide courtyards.
Many visitors are curious about how a century-old French-style compound continues to exist amid the modern landscape of Shanghai.
However, the most significant change is not visible to visitors. For the first time in decades, residents here no longer have to carry chamber pots down steep stairs or wait in line for a shared toilet.
The compound, formerly known as the Verdun Terrace built in 1929, was once home to writer and painter Feng Zikai (1898-1975). It used to be one of Shanghai’s most elegant garden lanes.
Feng called his apartment the “Sun and Moon Mansion,” a place where sunlight crossed the windows from dawn to dusk.
Over the years, as more families moved in and the old French-style row houses aged, the buildings grew crowded and damp, making them difficult to manage.
For the residents, many of whom are now elderly, the absence of private toilets has become a significant hardship.
The recent toilet installation campaign brought significant changes. Changlecun completed a round of repairs that added or rebuilt more than 50 private bathroom facilities. The renovation also strengthened old wooden structures and restored the historic facade.
The project, led by Huangpu District’s housing authority, Yongye Group and Ruijin No. 2 Road Subdistrict, was to provide modern comfort while preserving the cultural essence of the block.
For residents like 90-year-old Qiu Zonghe, this initiative represents a restoration of dignity.
“The entire unit used to share one large bathroom. Three, four, or sometimes six families would line up,” he explained.
“At home, we kept a pot for nighttime. You carried it down the steep stairs in the morning, hoping you wouldn’t slip,” Qiu recounted to Shanghai Daily. “It was not easy. It was the only option.”
He now enjoys a new private bathroom.
“Now I don’t think about it anymore,” he said. “If I want to take a shower, I take one. If I need hot water, I turn on the heater. I no longer have to boil kettles or lift buckets. It is simple, and it is safe.”
Qiu pointed out the handrails installed along the corridor.
“As you get older, even walking upstairs becomes difficult. But this is something we can manage now.”
Changlecun is within the Hengfu (Hengshan and Fuxing roads) Historical Conservation Zone, and most buildings are protected structures.
Mansard roofing, fish-scale plaster and water-brushed stone columns all had to be preserved. Many pieces were made by hand in the 1920s and could not be copied with modern tools.
Workers screened every roof tile and rebuilt damaged pieces using custom molds. Masonry experts reconstructed the old stone columns based on small surviving fragments. Officials said the aim was to make the new parts look right from afar and authentic up close.
“The original design had only one large bathroom on the second floor of each block,” said Fang Xiaohu, Yongye Group’s deputy general manager.
“Today, each block has three to six households. They all used the same space, and the old pipes leaked or were blocked. It caused disputes and affected safety.”
He said many rooms were only a few square meters, the staircases were narrow, and the wooden structure limited where heavy equipment could go.
“We needed residents to participate from the start. We adjusted the designs many times based on their suggestions,” Fang said.
Qiu remembered those discussions well.
“We talked again and again,” he said. “Sometimes it was noisy. Everyone had their own need. But eventually we found a balance.”
Some landlords objected at first, worried they would lose rental income during the renovation period. Community workers convinced them by explaining that an upgraded bathroom would increase the property’s long-term value.
Residents gave up unused corners, shared storage areas or divided old bathtub rooms to make space for toilets.
“It was slow, but it worked,” Fang said. “We solved problems one by one.”
The main entrance of Changlecun now displays the three Chinese characters written in Feng Zikai’s own hand.
His seasonal paintings of spring, summer, autumn and winter stand beside the gate, reminding visitors of the man who once captured the daily life of Shanghai with gentle lines.
Several cultural events returned after the renovation, including reading circles and small exhibitions hosted by residents. Community workers said Feng’s descendants supported the restoration and the renewed cultural atmosphere.
Today, the compound is cleaner and more orderly. The walkways have anti-slip patterned pavement. Stair rails and elderly-friendly seats appear in the corners.
The kitchens in public corridors have separate stoves for each household. The new rainwater and sewage system has ended the frequent flooding that once troubled the lowest units.
Residents said the changes strengthened their relationships, too.
“People argue less now. Once everyone has their own bathroom, there is nothing left to fight about,” Qiu said. “Water pressure used to be weak upstairs. Now it is fine. We don’t shout to remind neighbors to turn off the tap anymore.”
Fang said the project showed that historical buildings can still support comfortable modern life.
“It is important to keep the look of the place,” he said.
“But the people living inside matter just as much. This work is for them.”
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