Memories of a lost community

Artifacts that give a glimpse into life in a shantytown have been donated to the local archives by a number of former residents of Hongzhen Old Street. The large community stood next to Zhangqiao in the Hongkou district of Shanghai before it was demolished in 2013.

Wooden bathtubs and spittoons, old-fashioned radio sets and other items have been on display at the district archive since October.

“These wooden ladders are typical of the dilapidated houses of those times. Because the living spaces were small and crowded, many people built attics to sleep in. They reached them by climbing up and down the ladders,” said Zheng Sumei, 74, who lived in the community for about five decades.

The Hongzhen Old Street community, which covered an area of 0.9 sq km and was home to nearly 14,000 households, was the largest of its kind in Shanghai at the time.

“Owing to its particular nature, we residents raised the idea of donating some old, everyday articles to commemorate our lives in the community, even though we now live in new high-rises and our lives have been improved dramatically,” said Li Yi, a former Hongzhen resident.

“We looked for the oldest articles to donate — the older the better.”

Dozens of the hundreds of articles donated to the archive are currently on display. The oldest include food coupons the residents used in the early 1950s during the era of the planned economy, wooden or bamboo chairs, and blackand-white photos depicting characteristic scenes and the living conditions in the old community.

Zheng said she still keeps two old items at home because they hold great sentimental value.

“They are a traditional-style table clock and a small flour grinder that my husband and I bought when we got married. The clock is still working, although it has been repaired several times,” she said.

The district archive plans to produce an oral history of the community, which may yield a documentary, books and photo exhibitions.

“We must race to record these witnesses of history in words, sound and pictures to ensure they are not lost forever,” said Han Yu, the archive’s administrative head.