Renewal project provides comfortable living environment while retaining historical elements of old Nanjing block

"My house was built more than 90 years ago and my family has been living here for generations. After the house was renovated, I feel more comfortable living here," said Qin Liukun, a Nanjing local in her 70s.

The openwork wall of Qin Liukun's house offers pedestrians a view of the house's backyard. (People's Daily Online/Ma Taotao)

Qin's house is located in the Xiaoxihu block, which is one of the 28 historical blocks in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province.

The renewal project of the ancient block started in 2015, and the local government adopted a new approach to improve living conditions while preserving the historical elements. 402 out of 810 households in the community chose to continue to live here, including Qin's family.

While renovating Qin's house, the designers improved the backyard by creating a garden landscape. Through an openwork wall, pedestrians can have a partial view of the backyard scenery.

Photo shows a view of the Xiaoxihu block in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. (People's Daily Online/Ma Taotao)

"We respect the decision of every resident living in the block, trying to retain the hustle and bustle in the area and choosing not to turn the block into something that local residents are not familiar with," said Huang Jie, deputy general manager of Nanjing Historical City Protection& Construction (Group) Co., Ltd.

The local government also built tea houses, B&B hotels, restaurants, studios and other businesses in the area to inject vitality.

Photo shows the south entrance of the Xiaoxihu block in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. (People's Daily Online/Ma Taotao)

The Nanjing Xiaoxihu block renewal project won the Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts of the 2022 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in November 2022.

It is the first award Jiangsu Province has won since the establishment of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2000.