Construction workers take a breather to watch centennial celebration
Construction workers on the North Bund waterfront in Hongkou watched the live broadcast of the grand celebration of the Communist Party of China's centennial at the newly unveiled Home of Constructors.
A new round of development has been launched on the North Bund to develop the Huangpu River waterfront into the most beautiful "world-class sitting room" in Shanghai.
Thousands of construction workers from across the nation are working under a tight schedule to make the riverside region the "new engine" for Shanghai's future development.
The Home of Constructors service station, primarily developed by Beiwaitan (North Bund) Subdistrict offers haircuts, health care, legal consultations, movies and other services to construction workers in the area.
More than 20 representatives of the workers of the SIIC Center project watched the grand celebration this morning at the station and listened to the speech given by President Xi Jinping.
"I was stunned when the members of the Chinese military orchestra marched on Tian'anmen Square," said Shen Yan, Party secretary of the No. 2 Engineering Company of the Shanghai No. 2 Construction Group. "I feel proud to take part in the construction of many landmark buildings on the North Bund, such as the under-construction SIIC Center and the Sinar Mas Plaza, the tallest building in Puxi at a height of 320 meters."
The SIIC Center covers 22,500 square meters. It is comprised of a 180-meter-tall tower, a grand theater with 1,700 seats and a commercial facility covering about 46,000 square meters.
The Home of Constructors service station developed by Beiwaitan Subdistrict
Yang Chen, deputy general manager of the company, said he has witnessed the great changes on the North Bund since he began working on the land in 2017.
"There were many old neighborhoods without skyscrapers. Things have changed a lot lately," Yang said.
More than 20 skyscrapers, including a 480-meter landmark, have been planned for the North Bund and are soliciting design plans from across the world. Every one will be green, intelligent and connected with each other, according to the blueprint.
Xu Xiaochen, who is in charge of the SIIC's structure construction, said he felt motivated when watching four young people reciting a poem on Tiananmen Square.
"I'm at a similar age to them," said Xu, 30, a Shanghai native born in the Pudong New Area. "I am a construction worker contributing to the country with my hard work."
He once took his daughter to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower's observation deck to show her the project he is working on days and nights.
"I'm happy to construct for my hometown," he said.
Tian Yanxiang, another worker on the same project, said President Xi's speech made him feel like his toilsome work is meaningful. As the safety inspector, he must be the first to arrive at the construction site at 5:30am and the last to leave around 5:30pm.
The SIIC Center, scheduled to be completed by October, will include a listed historical structure – the former residence of Nie Er (1912-1935), the composer of China's national anthem.
