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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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    Aerial view of Shanghai's skyline Photo: VCGEditor's Note: 
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 robotic arm cooks noodles at Hongqiao AI community canteen. Photo: Courtesy of the canteen
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.
    Accompanied by a volunteer, a child with autism plays with toys at Palm Star Children's Rehabilitation Service Center in Shanghai on July 30, 2026. Photo: Chen Xia/GT
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.
。    北京晚报讯（记者王琪鹏）昨天（4月18日），北京市养老服务人才校企合作培养对接会在北京劳动保障职业学院举行，16家北京市养老服务企业与16家京内外职业院校签约，在养老服务人才定向培养、就业实训等方面达成战略合作。本次对接会期间还同步举办了春季校园双选会及线上春招会，发布岗位近3000个。　　本次对接会由市民政局主办，旨在加深养老服务企业与职业院校之间的合作，共同培养出更多符合市场需求的养老服务人才。

B | 对接会吸引了来自京津冀以及内蒙古、辽宁、山东等地的20余家职业院校与40余家北京市养老服务企业参加。　　对接会上，32家单位签订了战略合作协议。

C | 根据协议，北京市养老服务企业可根据实际需求，委托职业院校进行人才培养，职业院校可每年选派一定数量的学生，到北京市养老服务企业进行岗位实训。来自唐山职业技术学院的教师蒋丽洪介绍说，他们此次与海淀区四季青敬老院签订了合作协议。“以前我们的毕业生主要在唐山、秦皇岛等省内的养老机构就业，借助京津冀协同发展，我们的毕业生有了更多的发展选择。”　　对接会期间，北京市养老服务人才春季校园双选会也同步举行。在北京康养集团的展位前，围满了前来求职、咨询的毕业生。

D | 据了解，北京康养集团计划招聘约370人，主要包括养老护理员、生活管家、社工、护士等岗位。工作人员表示，前来咨询的毕业生大多在养老机构实习过，他们对养老服务行业更了解，求职的目标也更加明确。

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