Neighborhood gardens help build community spirit

Shao Yunxiang, 76, who has been living in Shanghai's Caojiadu neighborhood for more than 14 years, said life in a modern city as a senior citizen doesn't necessarily have to be lonely.

Shao attends a newspaper reading activity in the community center every Tuesday, the day when the neighborhood committee prepares lunch for people over 75 years old. On Wednesday, he joins a group to learn singing.

At other times, he becomes a volunteer helping people become familiar with the city's newly launched garbage sorting.

Shao said he spends one-third of his time on community activities, which contributes to making the neighborhood "a harmonious place where people know, help and support each other".

"People who live in a neighborhood and don't know their neighbors is a terrible phenomenon, but it happens a lot in modern cities," Shao said. "We hope to build our neighborhood into a big, warm family with an excellent environment, culture and spirit."

Located in Shanghai's Jing'an district, Caojiadu neighborhood, which covers 1.5 square kilometers, is home to around 33,000 households and 82,000 residents.

To promote community governance, the neighborhood has launched various projects since 2012 to facilitate communication between residents and enhance "neighborly spirit".

One of the most successful activities is its rooftop garden project.

"Our rooftop garden began with the Meilian building in 2015, with support from enterprises and managed by residents," said Wang Yanfeng, deputy director of the Caojiadu neighborhood Party working committee.