A "kitchen revolution" is changing lives in Jing'an District.
The district has many old houses scattered around the district. Most are traditional shikumen houses built early last century. Literally known as stone gate houses, shikumen was once the most popular style of architecture in Shanghai.
Nowadays, each house is shared by four or five families. These families generally share one kitchen.
According to Li Weiping, a district official in charge of the cultural environment supervisory, the kitchens designed to be used by one family are usually small and have many hidden problems.
"In August 2003, a sudden fire caused by old wires in a kitchen killed two people in Jiangning Community," Li said. "The bitter lesson has caught the government's attention."
In less than one month, a project on renovating kitchens in all the old residential buildings was issued.
About 100 houses in eight lanes were selected as experimental units.
They have been equipped with new kitchen stoves and cupboards. Tiles were paved on walls and floors. Besides, all the electrical wires were replaced.
"The renovation costs about 5,000 yuan (US$602.41) per kitchen," Li said. "However, altogether there are about 10,000 such houses which need the kitchen renovation."
Soon the project was listed as the No.1 task of the district government.
"So far, the government spent more than 50 million yuan on the project," Li said. "Through last month, renovations in some 5,000 houses were completed. More than 25,000 residents are using the fully-equipped kitchen now."
The whole project is expected to be finished by the end of next year.
In the mean time, the government also wants to clean up public places in the buildings, such as the corridors and staircases.
In many buildings, heaps of garbage has been piled up in a certain place for nearly 50 years.
Take a building on Kangding Road for example. Garbage removed from the three-story house, including ruined baskets, chairs and boxes, filled up three five-ton garbage trucks.
According to Li, all these expenses were also paid by the government.
In this way, many people's long-time headache was solved.
Li said that residents have sent many letters and postcards to show their appreciation.
In a letter to the district's director, overseas Chinese Liu Zicheng, whose mother and two brothers live in an old lane on Yan'an Road M., said that he didn't expect such a big change to the old building. His family has lived their for more than 60 years.
"Thanks to the 'kitchen revolution,' our old nasty kitchen has taken on a brand new look. The living quality has been greatly improved. When I'm in Shanghai, I don't need to stay at hotels anymore," he said.
"Our neighbors and my family are really grateful to the government. Kitchens are more important than skyscrapers and shopping malls to residents as they relate to everyone's everyday life," Li said.
"The district government benefits from the skyscrapers and at the same time, it uses the money to improve people's lives."
"All in all, the government's ultimate responsibility is to ensure all residents live and work in peace and contentment," he added.