BAISHIZHOU, one of Shenzhen’s largest communities of urban villages, in Nanshan District, will be rebuilt into an urban residential and commercial complex. The massive renewal project will reclaim a total area of 459 square kilometers from five villages in the area.

    Located alongside Shennan Boulevard with convenient transportation, the place is home to huge numbers of migrant workers for its abundance of homes at relatively cheap costs.

    Like most old urban villages, the area has poor infrastructure and densely built private constructions.

    Statistics show that there are 2,340 buildings in the area with 35,000 rental homes housing about 120,000 people, most of whom are migrant workers.

    The place is also home to the memories of many local residents who seek temporary shelter there after their arrival in the city.

    The renewal project will pose new pressure for the city’s working class who are taking temporary residence in the area before they can afford more decent housing.

    A woman surnamed Wang, who works in a company in the nearby Hi-tech Industrial Park, said it would become more difficulty for her to find a proper residence if Baishizhou is to be emptied for the urban renewal. Like many others, Wang relocated to Baishizhou after neighboring Dachong Village was put under reconstruction. (Anna Zhao)