In the exhibition hall of the Shanghai History Museum's "From the Yuan Dynasty Water Gate to Waibaidu Bridge: Suzhou Creek Historical and Cultural Exhibition," there is a striking display area dedicated to "Caoyang New Village Workers' Housing," with corresponding display cases showcasing a 1957 publication titled Workers' New Villages of Shanghai.
This picture album, compiled by the Shanghai Branch of the Chinese People's Association for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, presents text in Chinese, English, and Russian, introducing readers to the changes in the living conditions of Shanghai's workers after the founding of New China.
Decades ago, it served the mission of showcasing Shanghai's new life to the world, and Caoyang New Village featured in the album was precisely a special "calling card" of Shanghai's urban construction in that era.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the north bank of Suzhou Creek gradually became an important industrial cluster area in Shanghai thanks to convenient water transport conditions. Factories sprang up in large numbers, attracting many people to the area. Yet housing could not keep pace with the city's expansion. At the time, some workers lived on boats, while others built crude shelters near factories or along the riverbanks. For many industrial workers of that period, crowded and rudimentary living conditions had almost become a way of life.
After the founding of New China, improving workers' housing conditions was placed on the urban construction agenda. Shanghai successively built workers' housing, and Caoyang New Village was born against this backdrop. The site was chosen near the Huxi Industrial Zone. Among the first thousand-plus households to move in, many were model workers and advanced workers from nearby factories. The residential area was not far from the factories, reachable by walking or a short commute, allowing work and life to be arranged more reasonably.
The planning of this new community did not stop at merely providing shelter. Beyond housing, public service facilities including schools, nurseries, and hospitals were gradually introduced into the community. From children attending school to residents seeking medical care to daily life necessities, all were incorporated into the overall planning of the new village. Looking back from today's perspective, this approach of concentrating residence, education, healthcare, and daily services within a living radius already bore the prototype of what later became the "15-minute life circle."
After Caoyang New Village was completed, it quickly drew outside attention. Starting in 1953, foreign guests came to visit the new village in succession. Schools, hospitals, nurseries, and ordinary workers' families all became important settings for foreign guests to learn about urban life in New China. At the time, Caoyang New Village even set up a dedicated foreign affairs office to coordinate related reception work. In the recollections of staff who once handled local foreign affairs, one remark was very direct: "Caoyang is an important window for external reception!"
Exactly how many people did this "window" receive? According to incomplete statistics, from 1955 to 1990, Caoyang New Village received a total of 7,209 groups and over 101,500 visits from foreign guests from 155 countries and regions across five continents. Among them, from the 1950s to the 1970s, it received 3,741 groups and 44,848 people; from the 1980s to the 1990s, it received another 3,468 groups and 56,660 people. In September 1981, former U.S. President Carter and his wife visited Caoyang New Village, toured a nursery, and entered a worker's home to converse with residents. In 1988, the foreign affairs team of the Caoyang New Village Subdistrict even produced a video titled Let the World Know Caoyang, specifically introducing the village environment and scenes of foreign guests visiting. In 1992, Caoyang New Village was included as one of the 14 special routes of the National Tourism Year, continuing to enter the vision of international tourists as a representative of Chinese urban neighborhood construction.
The value of Caoyang New Village does not derive solely from the historical label of "New China's first workers' residential community." The completion of these workers' villages genuinely benefited ordinary people: a stable place to live, a school within easy reach, a hospital for convenient medical care, and a commuting route that shortened the daily journey. The integration of architectural facilities with residents' daily lives painted a vivid picture of life in Shanghai's early urban construction under New China.
Suzhou Creek has always flowed on, and life along its banks has always continued to renew itself. Today, it is still worth revisiting.
To learn about the past and future of Shanghai's mother river: From the Yuan Dynasty Water Gate to Waibaidu Bridge — Suzhou Creek Historical and Cultural Exhibition, July 11 to October 7, 2026, Shanghai History Museum, East Building, First Floor, no reservation required, free admission. Cooperation and media contact: press_shm@126.com. Call for Papers: The Urban Museum Committee of the Chinese Museums Association invites submissions for its proceedings. The logo design competition for the Urban Museum Committee of the Chinese Museums Association has been launched. Special statement: This article is authorized for publication by a "Shangguang Account" affiliated unit of the Shangguan News client and represents only the views of that affiliated unit. "Shangguan News" serves merely as an information publishing platform. If you believe the published content infringes upon your rights, please contact us for removal!