Tiantongyuan redevelopment set to improve lives

Community efforts

A younger generation of residents－80 percent of them tenants and many of them migrant workers－now occupies Tiantongyuan.

At weekends, a number of community centers on one street in Huilongguan are filled with people. One of the most popular centers is a children's library called "Happy Book Kid", whose owner, Wang Yanping, has lived in the community for more than 10 years.

As a migrant worker for more than 20 years, the 40-year-old said she always wanted a settled place of her own so she could get to know more people and gain a sense of belonging.

She established the library at the end of 2013 with the aim of providing a range of books that children could read and study after school.

At weekends, the library is packed as parents bring their children to participate in a range of activities, including drama performances, poetry recitals and handicraft classes.

"If just one kid becomes interested in reading, I will have made a contribution to their life," Wang said.

"A rising number of families treat the library as a place to gather, and they love being here."