Services top list of Zhijiang Rd W. Subdistrict benefits
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. Each is working to make Jing'an a better place. We invited a local resident or worker to introduce the best of each subdistrict and town in this series.
People joyously celebrate the urban renewal project at Zixiang Complex.
Xu Hailong: Office director of Zhijiang Rd W. Subdistrict
Service
The subdistrict covers an area of 1.64 square kilometers and has more than 70,000 residents.
Four Metro lines, two elevated roads and a railway station are such a boon for local people. The subdistrict also incorporates 14 schools, four standardized wet markets, three hospitals and five eldercare institutes.
The subdistrict was named as one of the first "15-minute life cycle" pilot communities in Shanghai in 2019, which means local residents have simple access to various facilities and services within a 15-minute walk.
To better serve local people, the subdistrict has made three maps which illustrate local wet markets, electric mopeds charging spots and service sites.
The subdistrict's neighborhood center, the largest of its kind downtown, incorporates dining, haircuts, gym, health management and other services. It has served over 1 million people in five years.
The subdistrict has more than 20 service centers in neighborhoods, where a variety of activities such as free medical consultancy and traditional handcraft experiences are on offer.
It has also helped the local site of Elite Union, a Jing'an-based social group to serve white-collar workers, to expand its space to 300 square meters to provide a bigger platform for youngsters to make friends.
Culture
The subdistrict has been working to dig deep into its cultural roots.
In an effort to build a "cultural celebrity pool," the subdistrict collects names of local cultural celebrities. They include Shanghai farce artist Wang Wenli, commonly known by locals as Wang Ayi, and photographer Xu Genshun.
The subdistrict has encouraged them or their family members to take part in the community cultural events to revive the spirit of the community and bring residents closer together.
Over years, the subdistrict has incubated several cultural groups, such as Baile Calligraphy and Painting Society founded in 1985; Silence Salon – a reading club for deaf-mutes – founded in 1994; and Yueju Opera troupe, accordion band and chamber music group in recent years.
Every year, the subdistrict provides 18 performances and lectures for local people. In addition, a variety of seasonal activities are held, such as the plum blossom photography contest in spring, mooncake DIY in the mid-Autumn Festival, and fragrant sachet making during the Dragon Boat Festival, to enhance local people's sense of belonging.
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a priority as the subdistrict is dotted with old and dilapidated residences.
In recent years, the subdistrict has finished land expropriation in several worn-out neighborhoods, which has benefited 13,228 people who could finally bid farewell to cramped living conditions.
Some were relocated to new apartments in other places as the sites are set to make room for new use, while others are waiting to move back as new apartment buildings will be built to replace the old ones on the original sites.
The subdistrict's workers have invited lawyers, designers and other experts to talk with residents to understand and solve their problems.
They also care for disadvantaged groups such as disabled people, the bed-ridden and poverty-stricken families to make sure they can enjoy their legal rights.
