Under a thriving tree known as Huang Jueshu, a community park extends over a thousand square meters in Cuiyu Road community in Liangjiang New Area. When the weather is clear, the sun shines through the trees, and the shadows of the leaves dance in the gentle breeze. The park, once nothing more than a wide open space, has become a popular spot in the community and a reflection of its strong residential autonomy operating mechanism.

Huang Jueshu (Ficus virens in Chinese) at the Cuiyu Road community park. Huang Jueshu is one of the most commonly-seen plants in urban Chongqing and is popular among locals. [Photo by Guo Shuyu]

In 2020, the Cuiyu Road community committee initiated efforts to turn the open space outside the Cuiyun Garden residential complex into a community park. "The complex is home to many elderly people, and we thought a park would be a nice place to relax and exercise," said Liu Shirong, secretary of the community committee.

To build a park that satisfies residents, 54 representatives were invited by the committee to discuss their ideas on the park and decide on a construction plan and facilities to install in the park. After opening in 2021, the park quickly became the most popular spot in the community. Many residents gather here to chat, play cards or chess, and use the exercise equipment, while children run around and play.

On hot summer days, the Huang Jueshu serves as a natural source of shade against the shining sun with its dense leaves and far-reaching branches. "Many residents love to spend time under the tree, so we launched the weekly Huang Jueshu Theater to make their time at the park more fun," said Liu. The activity encourages residents to form groups for singing, dancing, and waist drumming, and provides facilities needed for groups to stage their performances every Thursday.

Residents performing at the Huang Jueshu theater [Photo provided by Cuiyu Road Community Committee]

"(The plan is) very ideal," said 86-year-old Wang Darong. She is the leader of the singing group and spends a lot of time at the park. "I meet people in the park and I always ask if they are interested in joining our group. Apart from performing on stage, we practice every Monday and Wednesday," said Wang.

"I spent the past seven years looking after my late husband and withdrew from social life until he died. Now the park gives me a  chance to resume my social life," Wang added.

The essence of the residential autonomy mechanism in the Cuiyu Road community is to encourage residents to participate in community governance and raise the awareness of self-determination and shared benefits, according to Liu.

"We used to serve our residents in ways we thought would benefit them, but our efforts sometimes failed to achieve the desired results. Now we ask resident what they need before taking action, and the results are inspiring. By including residents in the decision-making process, we also hope to encourage resident autonomy and make our community a better place to live," Liu elaborated.

The resident representative meeting has become routine when the committee or residents want to initiate a new project. Projects adopted by the meeting will be carried out following certain processes. Li Renbing, a representative who participated in the decision-making process for the park, said that as representatives bridge the gap between the community committee and residents, better decisions can be made and fewer misunderstandings will occur, and it also gives residents a stronger sense of belonging.

A sense of belonging is what Wang Darong feels about the community. She is redecorating her flat and expecting a start a new life in the neighborhood she has been living in for years. "I feel happy here. I plan to live in the neighborhood for the rest of my life and sing as long as I am physically able to," she said.