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China City Talk: How Shanghai is turning public spaces, technology and social care into everyday services_我的网站
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An international metropolis on the shores of the East China Sea, a new migrant city rising from the Gobi Desert... China's cities embody a remarkable range of forms and efforts etched across a diverse range of landscapes, all of which is reflected in the everyday lives of ordinary people.
No two cities look alike, yet the standard by which we measure a city's warmth is familiar: Is there a place to rest safely? Is there a hot, decent meal to eat? Is there a corner where even the most vulnerable are treated with care and dignity? These seemingly small details are, in fact, what make a city truly moving.
The Global Times is launching a new series, "China City Talk." In this series, we explore cities across China, focusing on the everyday rhythms of life shaped by the human warmth of public policy and the quiet ways urban governance transforms individual lives. These stories offer one of the clearest windows into contemporary China.
Inside a historic red-brick building that houses a Party-mass service complex, run by a local grass-roots organization of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Kunqu opera enthusiast Li Qin rehearses with her retired friends. Many of the complex's spaces are open to the public, and in its elegantly old-fashioned hall, the arias of the classical opera float gently through the air.
At an AI-equipped community canteen for the elderly, a robotic arm skillfully prepares bowls of noodles. Affordable dishes line the serving windows, and 62-year-old Ao Yongjian, who lives nearby, joins the queue as he always does, choosing the dishes he likes.
In a mixed-use commercial block, a class at a rehabilitation center for children with autism is suddenly interrupted by a sharp cry from 9-year-old Xiaozheng (pseudonym). A volunteer beside him gently takes his hand and comforts him in a soft voice.
In Shanghai, scenes like these unfold almost every day, in every corner of the city. From some 12,000 Party-masses service complexes to more than 500 community elderly canteens and the city's first summer vacation care program for children with autism, this metropolis is responding to the needs of every single citizen with remarkable care and precision.
A shared home
With its photogenic looks and downtown location, a Party-masses service complex in the Jing'an district's Shimen Road No.2 subdistrict has gone viral on social media, drawing visitors from near and far almost every day.
Set beside Suzhou Creek, the service complex is made up of three century-old, red brick villas. After being restored in September 2025, many areas were reopened to the public free of charge. Residents now come here to read, chat, dance, and even play chess with AI robots.
There is also a "care station," which provides convenient services for couriers, delivery riders and other workers on the go.
At noon, courier Wang Jun stopped by to warm up his lunch and take a short break. He told the Global Times that, because he is always busy, he used to eat lunch squatting by the roadside, or grab a brief rest in the lobbies of some companies. "Now that this place is here, I can eat a hot meal at noon and get out of the rain when it pours," he said with a smile. "It feels like home."
Delivery rider Wang Shuwei first came here on a rainy day while delivering food. On her period at the time, she found the restroom, only to realize she had forgotten to bring a pad. Fortunately, a janitor pointed out that the "care station" offered free pads.
"At that moment, I thought, how can something be this good?" Wang said. She has since become a regular. "The words 'Party-masses service complex' used to sound like something that had nothing to do with me. But after coming here, I realized there are real services here, and the staff are all very kind."
Behind these services lies carefully conducted surveys of nearby residents.
According to He Hanqing, director of the service complex, the renovation began after more than 1,000 feedback forms were collected online and offline. "Many residents wanted the complex to be closer to Suzhou Creek. They wanted a community canteen, while some young people wanted a shared office space, and parents wanted areas to play with their children," she said. They then integrated indoor and outdoor spaces into a single design, extending the renovation to include the surrounding Suzhou Creek promenade and the space beneath nearby bridges.
Today, the service complex receives an average of 4,000 visits a day. More than 30 percent of visitors come from outside the local community, 12 percent are tourists from elsewhere in China, and 7.7 percent are from overseas, according to data provided by the complex staff. In this highly urban complex, where rent for commercial land is extremely expensive, the place has become a shared home for many.
"We are not doing the math in terms of economic returns, but in terms of public sentiment," He Hanqing told the Global Times. "It is worth it to open up precious land to the public for free."
Warming stomachs and hearts
Around 11 am in Shanghai's Hongqiao subdistrict, the aroma of freshly cooked food drifts out of a community canteen. Named a "community canteen for the elderly," it is actually open to everyone, not just seniors.
Through a glass wall, a robotic arm in the back kitchen deftly picks up a tray of washed vegetables and delivers it into an intelligent cooking chamber. Within minutes, stir-fried cabbage is ready to serve. Braised pork, zucchini with scrambled eggs… more than a dozen dishes stand neatly lined up across the counter
Opened in 2021, this is one of Shanghai's earliest AI community canteens. The dishes here are prepared by machines and an AI system. According to the canteen's manager, Dong Yong, the system contains more than 3,000 recipes and can precisely regulate oil and salt use. Beyond its AI features, the canteen also offers full traceability for its ingredients, from procurement to processing.
What really puts diners at ease, however, are the prices. A vegetarian dish costs 4.5 yuan (67 cents), meat dishes range from 6 to 9 yuan, and some specialty items sell for 12 to 18 yuan, according to a price list on the wall.
Seniors aged 60 and above can enjoy discounts and subsidies. "A meal here costs me about 15 yuan on average - it's tasty and a good value," said resident Ao. Since retiring, Ao has come almost every day.
So how can the canteen turn a profit while charging below-market prices? He Junting, an official from the Hongqiao subdistrict, explained that the canteen is part of a government-supported partnership.
The local government provides the venue rent-free, allowing the restaurant to pass on the savings to customers. "That's why the prices are so affordable," she told the Global Times.
After choosing her dishes, a 70-year-old resident surnamed Du sat down at a table and chatted with the Global Times as she ate. Her husband is in the hospital, leaving her little time to cook for herself, so she comes here for lunch four or five days a week.
"The food here is healthy and the prices are friendly. I don't have to bother buying groceries or washing dishes myself," Du said. "The government really has solved an important problem for us older people."
During lunchtime, white-haired seniors, office workers and cleaning staff alike share the same dining space, giving the canteen a lively, down-to-earth atmosphere. Whether powered by AI or run in more traditional ways, these affordable community canteens can be found in nearly every neighborhood across Shanghai - warming both stomachs and hearts.
Much love and care
This summer, Shanghai launched a pilot program for children with autism in three districts, including Changning, marking the city's first attempt at such a summer daycare service.
The Palm Star Children's Rehabilitation Service Center, a professional rehab facility for children with autism, is located in Changning. There, 10 children attend the program, with each child paired with a volunteer.
In the classroom, laughter mixes with sudden cries. When one child has an emotional outburst, a volunteer gently calms him down; when another seems lost in her own world, the volunteer stays by her side, guiding her patiently.
Xiaozheng has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. When his mother fell ill and his father grew busy caring for her, his grandmother was left to look after him alone. In previous summers, Xiaozheng could only stay at home. This year, however, the summer vacation program gave the boy somewhere to go.
Each session of the program lasts three weeks and costs only 600 yuan - less than one-tenth of what a commercial institution might charge. For families like Xiaozheng's, which are struggling financially, this fee is covered by the local government.
In Shanghai, children with physical, intellectual or mental disabilities also receive annual care and living subsidies.
Caring for children with autism is a lifelong process, and summer vacations have long been a gap in that support, said Chu Lin, director of the center. She explained that the program is the result of joint efforts from government subsidies, social organizations and donations from caring enterprises. "Every child has the right to education. By learning here and practicing simple daily living skills and social interaction, we hope their situation can gradually improve."
Among the volunteers is 21-year-old Kalahala Nuerbaishan, a university student majoring in special education. Before taking up her post, she and the other volunteers completed two rounds of professional training.
She shared that at the program, one boy under her care had been silent all day at first, but now he raises his hand to ask for tissues on his own. "Small progress like that gives me a great sense of accomplishment," the volunteer told the Global Times.
Lunchtime arrives. Accompanied by volunteers, the children wash their hands, line up and collect their meals. Some are already seated; others are still restless. Yet the special education teachers and volunteers remain patient, trying again and again to communicate with them.
In Shanghai, the most scenic stretch along the Suzhou Creek waterfront has been left for ordinary residents; the most advanced technology is being used to prepare three meals a day; and the most professional expertise is supporting the most vulnerable children.
This metropolis, as many people living there told the Global Times, is interpreting the meaning of "cities are built by the people, for the people" in the quiet, everyday acts of care that speak the loudest.
。 北京时间8月15日，中国男篮热身赛主场对阵乌拉圭男篮，中国男篮二番战轮休胡金秋与胡明轩两位核心。中国男篮次节开局取得7分优势，但之后被乌拉圭男篮一波23-1攻势反超比分，并在末节被拉开25+落后差距，最终中国男篮72-91惨负乌拉圭男篮，遭遇今夏热身赛首败。
B | 数据统计 中国男篮：赵嘉义4记三分17分3篮板3助攻，李弘权10分7篮板，焦泊乔11分7篮板。 乌拉圭男篮：维斯科维21分7篮板6助攻4抢断，马丁内斯11分，波莫利12分。 本场之星 在中国男篮惨负乌拉圭男篮的比赛，赵嘉义命中4记三分爆发，轰下全队最高的17分，成为惨败夜为数不多的亮点。 焦点事件 中国男篮阵容做出调整，胡金秋与胡明轩轮休缺席，蒋浩然与赵继伟进入大名单，王俊杰重回首发阵容。 贺希宁命中全队首记三分。 赵继伟防守时和对手发生摩擦，所幸及时被队友拉开。 中国男篮被乌拉圭男篮一波23-1攻势拉开20+差距。 朱俊龙突破上篮得分，打破中国男篮长达7分钟进球荒。 庞峥麟分球被断，李弘权追防被吹违体犯规。
C | 比赛回顾 中国男篮在上一场热身赛，主场83-78险胜乌拉圭男篮。
D | 本场首节开局，朱俊龙上篮与焦泊乔抛射取得4-0领先，马丁内斯暴扣与戈麦斯上篮回敬，廖三宁与马丁内斯各完成一次上篮得分。贺希宁与赵嘉义各中一记三分取得领先，乌拉圭男篮多点开花反超1分，庞峥麟连中两记中投，卢卡斯三分追平比分。赵嘉义造犯规两罚全中，赵继伟与对手略有摩擦被分开，首节结束中国男篮18-16领先乌拉圭男篮。 次节比赛，李弘权率先三分命中，比安奇连得4分，赵嘉义连中两记三分回敬扩大7分优势。乌拉圭男篮连追5分，程帅澎三分命中与焦泊乔两罚全中，中国男篮维持32-25领先。马丁内斯三分命中，中国男篮再得3分，乌拉圭男篮一波7-0攻势追到35-35。王俊杰内线命中，乌拉圭男篮连得3分，赵继伟两罚全中，乌拉圭男篮一波10-0攻势反超。中国男篮单节21-32输掉11分，上半场结束中国男篮39-48落后乌拉圭男篮。
E | 易边再战，焦泊乔率先造犯规两罚一中，乌拉圭男篮内外开花打出一波13-0攻势，中国男篮已经40-61落后21分差距。朱俊龙上篮打破得分荒，赵嘉义三分命中，乌拉圭男篮连中两记三分，双方均两罚一中。李弘权三分、2+1与两罚一中连得7分追分，卡帕尔博中投得分，中国男篮单节14-22输掉8分，三节结束中国男篮53-70落后乌拉圭男篮。前三节比赛，赵嘉义4记三分15分与李弘权10+7。
F | 进入第四节比赛，程帅澎率先中投得分，乌拉圭男篮多点开花一波14-1攻势拉开28分优势，其中李弘权被吹罚一次违体犯规。焦泊乔三分追分，比安奇勾手命中，王俊杰与赵嘉义引领一波6-0攻势追分。卢卡斯三分回敬，廖三宁连追4分，但由于落后差距太大，中国男篮已经无力扭转局势，最终中国男篮惨负乌拉圭男篮吞热身赛首败。中国男篮下一场热身赛比赛，将是8月17日对阵新西兰男篮。 双方首发 中国男篮：廖三宁、焦泊乔、王俊杰、朱俊龙、贺希宁 乌拉圭男篮：维斯科维、戈麦斯、罗德里格斯、伊格莱西亚斯、马丁内斯 （文/醉卧浮生）。
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