by Xinhua writers Tian Ying, Zhang Yunlong and Xu Xiaoqing
SHANGHAI, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Amid Shanghai's vibrant downtown district stands a modest stone-doorframe house, the birthplace of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Drawing millions of visitors annually, the site, preserved as part of the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the CPC, inspires reverence for its history, while remaining deeply woven into the city's daily life.
On June 1, International Children's Day, four women in their late 60s and early 70s gathered outside the memorial to reconnect with childhood memories, wearing matching white polo shirts, red Young Pioneers scarves and carefully applied makeup.
They reenacted the marching steps they remembered, and asked a passerby to film them performing the routine with a cellphone in front of the memorial.
"Children's Day isn't just for children," 70-year-old Liu Honglan, a local retiree, told Xinhua. "It's also a chance for us to realize a dream from our youth." The sentiment strikes a chord with many of her peers, who spent their youth in an era of scarcity and rarely had the opportunity to celebrate the holiday themselves.
Liu said patriotism was what drew them back to the birthplace of the CPC. Standing before the memorial in their Young Pioneers scarves and capturing the moment on video felt solemn and meaningful.
"When I compare life today with what it was like when we were young, I can't help but feel happy," she said.
Her sentiment is shared by many Chinese after witnessing the country's transformation from poverty to prosperity. Improving people's well-being has been at the heart of the CPC's mission for more than a century.
Starting out from the stone-doorframe house where the Party was founded in 1921, Shanghai has become a vivid example of how that aspiration is being translated into everyday life. In a new era, that goal is reflected in the concept of being a "people's city," with authorities striving to put residents at the center of development.
Few places embodied this philosophy more clearly than the Hudiewan riverside Party-masses service complex in Jing'an District, nestled along the banks of Shanghai's Suzhou River.
The complex, made up of three buildings, including one heritage building in the style of a European castle and a 16,000-square-meter public space, now serves more than 4,000 residents and travelers daily. It has become a popular destination.
Operated by community authorities in partnership with market entities, it provides a wide range of nonprofit services designed to serve residents of all ages.
At lunchtime, elderly residents line up at the first-floor canteen for affordable meals with familiar local flavors. In the attic of the historic building, toddlers play in a child-safe activity space and climb up to explore the castle tower. Meanwhile, students and young professionals settle into quiet study rooms to read and work.
The complex also designates a space as a rest lounge for delivery workers, and offers scheduled free haircuts. It also operates a runners' station, where visitors can rent a pair of sneakers for a jog along the nearby premium waterfront running trail, and freshen up with a shower afterward.
"We reserve the best resources for the people," said He Hanqing, who works at the service complex.
A wide range of educational programs is also on offer, including one on artificial intelligence. The class is part of a public-interest program provided by Eastday.com, and provides hands-on courses in drone operation simulation, AI modeling, 3D printing, and other emerging technologies. It helps participants better understand how AI is reshaping everyday life, according to Yang Jiaxiong, a senior AI engineer with the company.
Since its launch in June last year, the AI classroom in Hudiewan has hosted nearly 50 sessions attended by close to 1,000 participants. Children often fill the classroom during school holidays, while older residents make up a significant portion of attendees, Yang said.
The growing popularity of the courses reflects a broader shift in public expectations. For many residents, quality of life is no longer measured solely by material well-being. Meeting people's growing needs for "new experiences, knowledge, beauty, and enjoyment" has become an important part of community governance, He said.
At the same time, building a people's city requires fighting tougher battles to address residents' most pressing needs and concerns. Alongside efforts to enrich cultural life, Shanghai has worked to improve living conditions in older neighborhoods in recent years.
In Shanghai's historic Hengfu neighborhood, the renovation of Changlecun, a century-old residential compound with French-style buildings, reflects these efforts. For decades, residents of the so-called "snail shell houses" endured cramped living conditions, shared bathrooms, leaking roofs and aging facilities.
Between 2023 and 2025, extensive upgrades were completed through a community-led renovation project. Gone are the days when multiple households were cramped in a two-story building, said resident Qiu Minwen, who moved back last year to take care of her 91-year-old father.
Born in the house, 59-year-old Qiu recalled how days looked. "People had to queue for showers, sometimes from three in the afternoon until late in the evening," she said. "Now, nobody has to compete for the bathroom anymore, and the leaking problems that troubled us for years have finally been solved."
With the addition of a private bathroom and age-friendly amenities, his father can continue living in the apartment he has called home for decades, instead of moving into a nursing home.
From installing in-home bathrooms and creating rest lounges for couriers to hosting lawn concerts and AI classes in local communities, Shanghai is evolving into more than a metropolis defined by glittering skyscrapers and dazzling lights. It is becoming a city built for its people. Enditem
京公网安备 11010802027341号