Old community decked out in colorful paint
Jiangsu Road Subdistrict and company officials jointly launch the Colorful Communities project in Changxin Community in Changning District.
A “Colorful Communities” project was launched in a downtown neighborhood over the weekend to bring color and vitality to local aged communities in the wake of previous renovation campaigns.
Micro-renovations, in contract to massive demolition and construction projects, have been launched in neighborhoods built around the 1980s citywide in recent years.
The new decoration campaign aims to further improve the living environment for residents, mainly seniors.
More than 30 volunteers and residents at the Changxin Community in Changning’s Jiangsu Road Subdistrict began creating paintings on the community's entrances and walls as well as inside apartment buildings.
The neighborhood, with over 5,000 residents, was built in the early 1980s as the first modern community in Changning to relocate residents from a nearby shantytown. It features an ideal downtown location and full supportive facilities in the surroundings.
However, limited public space and worsening community environment did not meet the requirements of the inhabitants, said Zhao Huiping, the Party secretary of the neighborhood committee.
The subdistrict launched the micro renovation in 2019 to renovate abandoned backyards, dumping sites and corners around the neighborhood into gardens.
Elevators have been installed in four residential buildings for the elderly to use.
Volunteers and residents paint walls in colorful patterns.
In the latest campaign, paintings with different elements of design aim to create a beautiful, relaxing, happy and lively atmosphere.
Green leaves, for example, are painted at the entrance to encourage an eco-friendly lifestyle. Moving toward the inside, a wall mural named “Flowing Colors” displays colorful apartment buildings in the city to express society’s aspirations for a better life.
Inside the building, paintings depict various scenes of modern urban life. Lively patterns were used for scenes in the kindergarten and on the playground, helping children in the community to feel happy and comfortable in their surroundings.
“I used to be reluctant to invite friends to my home because of the poor neighborhood environment,” said Song Huifen, a retired Chinese teacher who has been living in the community for over a dozen of years.
Thanks to the renovation and painting campaigns, Song now takes short videos of the gardens and colorful walls of the neighborhood and posts them on TikTok every day.
“Many of my online followers have asked where the beautiful place is which made me feel happy and proud,” she added.
Dai Tao, the Party secretary of the subdistrict, said the project is a “good example of a collaborative revitalization effort by government, enterprise and community.”
The subdistrict cooperates with PPG, a global leading paint and coatings manufacturer, for the project.
Vincent Robin, PPG president, Asia Pacific, said: “We are excited to help residents in realizing their goal of building a beautiful and inviting space for everyone to enjoy.”
He joined the volunteers to create paintings on a long wall in the neighborhood on Friday.
The project is part of the Communities of Excellence program initiated by Changning District, which is aimed at improving the living environment of community residents, increasing the quality of life and creating a harmonious and beautiful neighborhood.
Vincent Robin, PPG president, Asia Pacific, joins the volunteers.
Different colors create a ribbon effect.
