Jiangning Road community enjoys 15-minute access to all conveniences

Editor’s note:

Jing’an comprises 13 subdistricts — Jing’ansi, Caojiadu, Jiangning Road, Shimen Road No.2, Nanjing Road W., Tianmu Road W., Beizhan, Baoshan Road, Zhijiang Road W., Gonghexin Road, Daning Road, Pengpu Xincun and Linfen Road, and one town — Pengpu. Every one of them is working to make Jing'an a better place. We will invite a local resident or worker to introduce the best of each subdistrict and town in this series.

Episode 1: Jiangning Road Subdistrict

Yu Wenjun: office director of Jiangning Road Subdistrict

"This community is truly livable, with a convenient 15-minute life cycle that allows residents to easily access stores, stadiums, healthcare facilities, and other amenities. Today, I'll show you three highlights of the subdistrict."

1) “Baby House”

The subdistrict is the first in the city to launch the "Baby House" project, which offers daycare to children under the age of 3.

Shanghai has been establishing childcare facilities in communities to alleviate parents' burdens. This year, the city launched the "Baby House" pilot project to "embed" childcare services in existing venues to make lives easier for working parents and grandparents.

The subdistrict currently has four "Baby Houses." They are housed in a community comprehensive eldercare center, a community CPC service center, and kindergartens. The most recent one, which opened this month at the Wujiang Kindergarten, is considered an "upgraded version" — not only a "Baby House," but also a "Mother School."

Xiaoqing, a young mother, was among the first to bring her two-year-old child to the site. She hoped that the teachers would assist her baby's language development and teach her how to communicate with toddlers.

She said it will relieve her worries when the baby starts kindergarten in September.

It currently provides free childcare and parenting advice.

More sites have been added to meet the demand.

2) Fancy landmarks

New cultural and commercial landmarks have emerged to enliven the subdistrict. The most recent is MOHO Mall, which opened in January.

The mall's décor includes a red-brick courtyard, a retro bell tower, and other old Shanghai-style elements to echo the vibes of a heritage-listed and century-old shikumen lane-house building standing in front of the mall — the former site of the Communist Party of China's Secretariat of the Central Committee.

Between the end of 1927 and June 1931, the CPC used the site to read and store classified documents.

The mall is now attempting to create a trendy environment. It has opened more than 50 new stores and is planning a special area to promote a new fashionable lifestyle.

Shan Kang Li is another popular meeting place for foreigners.

It was the only neighborhood on the Chinese mainland to be named one of the world's 40 coolest by global magazine "Time Out" in 2020.

It originally comprised Western-style red-brick structures such as police offices and dorms around a century ago at the intersection of Shaanxi Road N. and Kangding Road. It was later converted to an industrial site featuring factories and workshops.

Some of the historic structures, particularly a former Sikh temple in the center of the site, were well preserved during renovation. It is now a posh lifestyle hub in the subdistrict with office, dining, and retail space.

It is highly recommended that you have a cup of coffee at Shan Kang Li because it has many great coffee shops that provide a delightful outdoor experience. The most unique is Lanna Coffee, which employs hearing-impaired baristas.

3) A historic stroll

The subdistrict contains nearly 40 cultural and historical heritage sites, making it ideal for a historic stroll.

The subdistrict is peppered with historical buildings of various styles, such as garden villas and red-brick townhouses, particularly Pacific Garden, which was built in the early 1920s and was once used by its developer, then-Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Tingfang, to house Jewish refugees for free.

Another relic of that era is the Ohel Rachel Synagogue.

The Communist Party of China's footprints are also visible, such as the former residence of Nie Er, who composed China's national anthem, and the former site of the CPC Secretariat.

These locations have been meticulously preserved. Furthermore, local residents have played an important role in preserving local cultural and historical memories through a variety of activities, such as creating a cultural map of some of the area's historic sites.

Protected buildings, former celebrity residences, and factory sites were chosen by local residents for their treasured memories and legendary stories. Along with the map, there are paintings of the locations, all of which were created by residents.