Hongkou hopes to turn old homes into guest houses

The Hongkou district government plans to transform the homes of longtime residents of a local creative park into guest rooms for tourists, local media reported Sunday.

The purpose of the transformation will be to offer tourists an experience living in a traditional local residence as the area is full of old-fashioned shikumen-style houses, according to a report in the Oriental Morning Post.

About 400 residents of Shanghai Music Valley on Liaoning, Jiaxing and Harbin roads will be able to participate in the plan, the report said.

The residents can either exchange their homes to the government for a new residence elsewhere or operate the guest rooms on their own, an official from the Jiaxing Sub-district Office told the Oriental Morning Post. Currently, there are many tenants crowded into houses in the area. Under the plan, the government will hire a company to renovate the houses and manage the guest rooms, the official said.

The guest rooms are part of an overall development plan for Shanghai Music Valley. The creative park covers an area of 280,000 square meters bordered by Hailun, Zhoujiazui, Liyang and Siping roads, according to the report. Hongkou district plans to turn the creative park into a 3A level scenic spot this year.

It also plans to attract composers and songwriters who work nearby. A music-themed street will be built on Harbin Road and Jiaxing Road, the report said.