Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    Culture
    Home / Culture / Heritage

    Nanjing project brings buildings back to life

    China Daily | Updated: 2020-07-09 07:10
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    A shared garden in the Xiaoxihu neighborhood, which is going through a renovation project by the government, in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Li Caifeng, 95, had lived in her two-storey house for decades, but a few years ago, she decided to lease the building to a local development company specializing in historical renovation, with the aim of ensuring its longevity.

    She moved to an apartment nearby, keeping a close eye as the old house was turned into a coffee bar. Apart from necessary renovations, many original features remain unchanged, from the general layout to the brick walls.

    "Glass covers have also been added onto the wood stairs for protection," says Tong Nannan, Li's daughter.

    "We have a wardrobe that has a history of about 150 years. It's broken, but my mom didn't want to throw it away. The company said that they would help restore it and then put it back into the house," Tong says. "We're deeply touched."

    Li's house is located in the Xiaoxihu neighborhood of Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province. Most of the houses in Xiaoxihu, which covers an area of 46,900 square meters, are in poor condition.

    In 2017, the local government launched a renovation project to improve living conditions in the area, handing responsibility for this mammoth task to the Nanjing Historical City Protection Construction (Group) Co.

    The company offered to renovate homes in the area, preserving many of their original features, while giving residents the chance to lease or sell the properties to the company. Some of the renovated space could then be used for commercial purposes, helping to boost the local economy.

    The company also began efforts to update the water pipes, gas system, electricity and internet facilities in the area, to improve the general living conditions for residents.

    Residents were given the option of remaining in their homes or moving elsewhere. Of the 810 households in the Xiaoxihu area, about half of them chose to stay.

    "A few years ago, we worked on the renovation of an area nearby, which has now become a popular tourist site," says Fan Ning, chairman of the board of the company. "But there's too much commercial activity, and not much of the local life has been kept. So when it comes to the Xiaoxihu area, this time, we want to maintain as much of the original way of life as possible."

    Experience shows that finding a balance between old and new is essential to the success of such restoration projects.

    "The renovation of run-down areas should protect their historical elements, while at the same time, more convenient and complete public facilities should be built," says Han Dongqing, dean of the School of Architecture, Southeast University.

    By the end of this year, the initial results of the Xiaoxihu renovation project should be apparent.

    Another resident who is benefitting from the work is Chen Hongrong, 70, who has lived in his house since childhood.

    "It was a good one back then, but as time has gone by, the house has become old and run-down," he says.

    Without a proper kitchen, he was forced to cook in the hallway, the blackened walls and electric wires bearing testimony to the risk of fire.

    Now, the place is undergoing renovation, with the yard turned into a shared courtyard. The house will be divided into two parts, one for himself and another for designers working on the project.

    Chen is happy to see the renovation work taking place, and he has gladly embraced the new design.

    "This half will be studios for designers, and the other half will be my home, with a new kitchen and restroom. I no longer have to worry about fires," he says.

    "When the renovation is complete, I will put some chairs and tea sets in the hallway so the tourists can rest and drink some tea," he says.

    Xinhua

    Most Popular
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    亚洲欧美中文字幕高清在线| 久久精品中文字幕久久| 亚洲中文字幕无码日韩| 亚洲日韩精品无码专区网址| 中文字幕日本人妻久久久免费| 无码人妻久久一区二区三区免费 | 婷婷四虎东京热无码群交双飞视频 | 无码视频在线观看| 最近2019中文字幕电影1| 人妻少妇无码视频在线| 亚洲AV无码一区二区二三区入口| 日本中文字幕电影| 亚洲av麻豆aⅴ无码电影| 超清无码无卡中文字幕| 亚洲AV无码一区二区三区DV | 日韩av无码中文无码电影| 中文字幕精品亚洲无线码二区| 精品视频无码一区二区三区| 在线播放无码后入内射少妇| 日本中文字幕在线电影| 国产中文欧美日韩在线| 中国少妇无码专区| 亚洲成A∨人片天堂网无码| 日韩乱码人妻无码系列中文字幕| 成人无码AV一区二区| 国产成人无码精品久久久性色 | 久久精品中文闷骚内射| 综合国产在线观看无码| 亚洲av无码国产精品色在线看不卡| 成人无码一区二区三区| 国产亚洲AV无码AV男人的天堂| 色窝窝无码一区二区三区色欲| 无码中文字幕日韩专区视频| 一本色道无码道DVD在线观看| 成人无码免费一区二区三区| 制服中文字幕一区二区| 中文字幕乱码人妻综合二区三区| 人妻无码精品久久亚瑟影视| 中文字幕一区二区三区永久| 国产aⅴ激情无码久久| 亚洲美日韩Av中文字幕无码久久久妻妇 |