By Dian Qian/Photos by Xu Jiechen & Yu Li

(Expo 2010 Shanghai) -A ceremony to welcome the first batch of relocated families moving into the Pujiang Expo Garden took place at the leisure square of the No.4 Residence Block amid laughter and smiles in the morning of December 20, 2005. Family representatives of the first batch of relocated residents picked up keys to their new apartments from Vice Mayor of Shanghai Municipal Government, Zhou Yupeng, who is concurrently a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, Standing Deputy Director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee and Chairman of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, and other government officials from Huangpu, Luwan and Minhang districts.
The construction of the Pujiang Expo Garden, contracted by the Shanghai World Expo Land Holding Co., Ltd. was started on November 8, 2004. Up to now, constructions are under way covering an area of one million square meters, with the construction for seven residence blocks being basically finished. The first batch of apartment buildings, covering an area of 150,000 square meters (around 1,600 units of apartments), was completed and delivered for use on December 30, 2005. In March and August of 2006, other batches of 400,000 square meters (around 4,660 apartments) and 300,000 square meters (around 3,400 apartments) will be delivered for residence respectively.

As a member of the first batch of relocated families, Mr. Fei Shenrong, a retiree from a research institute, moved into his new 109-square-meter apartment from his former 40-square-meter apartment in Luwan District, where he lived together with his daughter and son-in-law. Before picking up the key to his new apartment, Mr. Fei has already studied the transportation and ancillary facilities surrounding his new apartment. "There are many facilities for retired workers, and the environment is good. Our whole family is quite satisfied," said Mr. Fei. Mr. Zhu Guangming, who moved here from Dongjiadu of Huangpu District, smiled from ear to ear upon getting his key to the new apartment. His family, comprising four members of three generations, once lived in a 40-square-meter-large apartment, which was very crowded for them. "The new apartment is a three-bedroom suite with an area of 110 square meters. The government has solved the housing problem, our biggest problem, this time, and in addition, we get some compensations as well," said Zhu, adding that, although the Expo Garden is a little bit far away from the downtown area, it is still quite convenient for them to live here as the new residential area, with its good living environment, is equipped with most service facilities, including a direct bus service connecting the Expo Garden to the downtown.
In order to satisfy the living needs of the first batch of 1,600 relocated families, the municipal government has set clear guidelines in providing service facilities for the purchase of the so-called "seven essentials for daily home life", the transportation and other public facilities, aiming to build the Pujiang Expo Garden into a housing paragon in terms of beautiful environment, complete service facilities and affordable housing prices. As a result, the first batch of relocated families will have no such problems as most of the service facilities were opened to the public on December 25, 2005 thanks to the joint efforts of the construction workers and the support of various departments under the municipal government and the district governments of Minhang, Huangpu and Luwan.
After the conclusion of the ceremony, Vice Mayor Zhou Yupeng, accompanied by officials from the Shanghai World Expo Land Holding Co., Ltd. and the Luwan, Huangpu and Minhang districts, inspected the first batch of service facilities opened to public, including many time-honored stores such as XINGHUALOU (the city's leading food service provider), Godly (Gongdelin) Restaurant, Laodafang Food Store, Shaowansheng Food Store, Caitongde Traditional Chinese Medicine Store, Shenhua Electro-Thermal Appliance Co, Laotongsheng Supermarket, Defeng Food Store, Baodaxiang Shopping Center for Kids, Quantai Garment Store, Guoda Pharmacy, Yangguang Dry-Clean, Dongxin Beauty Salon, Xinguang Photo Service, Jingyi Clock & Watch Store, Wenmiao Bookstare & Stationary, Hongxiong Culture and Sports Store, Lawson Convenience Store, Cangbaolou Antique Store, Baxian Food Store, and Laiyifen Food Store. These stores have already been known to the relocated families before their relocation, and their services cover all the basic household needs, giving the relocated families a sense of home once again.

Post offices and banks also opened their offices in the Expo Garden. The two bank offices are operated by the China Construction Bank and the Agricultural Bank of China respectively. The provisional health center of the No. 4 Residence Block provides clinical service for common diseases, and the permanent Community Clinic, located in the No. 14 Residential Block, will be put into use in June 2006. The World Expo Bus Route, operated by the Bus Company, is also in use now.
To facilitate the relocation of residents, Pujiang Expo Garden has also set up a customer service center to provide services related to moving into new apartments, and agency services for certificates and the payment of gas, electricity, water and cable TV fees.
At present, the construction for the Lotus Supermarket has been finished, and it is expected to open to the public before the Chinese spring festival. Kindergartens, primary schools and junior middle schools will also be put into use in June 2006. Children of the first batch of relocated families will temporally be schooled in the existing kindergartens, primary schools, and junior middle schools of the Pujiang Town, and will transfer to new schools this autumn.
Families relocated to make way for the Expo Park has gradually started to move into their new apartments by the end of 2005. Earlier, around 1,000 families once located in Dongjiadu, Shanggang New Village and Nanmatou Residential Block had already moved to the Sanlin Yongtai Expo Garden.

Pictures in this story:
1. Vice mayor Zhou Yupeng gave the key to a new apartment to Mr. Fei Shenrong.
2. Relocated families smiling from ear to ear.
3. Community Affairs Handling Center in Pujiang Expo Garden.
4. Commercial ancillary facilities in Pujiang Expo Garden—Bookstore.
5. Commercial ancillary facilities in Pujiang Expo Garden—Bank
6. Commercial ancillary facilities in Pujiang Expo Garden—Food store.
7. Clinic
8. The World Expo Bus service
9. A scene of the Pujiang Expo Garden.
10. Beautiful new apartments—Sanlin Yongtaihuayuan.
11. Beautiful new apartments—Pujiang Expo Garden.