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Shanghai Daily Tuesday 29 September 2020 Jing’an C3

Replacing

movies with

live family

productions

Li Qian
Although CoVID-19 has forced local
cinemas to cancel most movies, some
have made the best of the situation by
hosting talent shows on their stages.
this month, 10 families from Jing’an
District performed in the finals of
Jing’an’s 2020 Chinese and Foreign
Families’ Drama Contest at Daning
theater.
graeme Blevins from the united
Kingdom, nicknamed Xiao g by his
mother-in-law Shen Jinmei, performed
a music and dance routine with his Chi- Local residents in the spotlight at the 2020 Chinese and Foreign Families’ Drama Competition — Ti Gong
nese relatives. his wife, Zhou Ping, and
father-in-law, Zhou Bingcheng, opened greatly influenced my grandson,” said
the show with traditional dancing from Zhou’s grandfather Wang genrong.
the tibet Autonomous Region. later, “he can now speak Shanghainese very
Shen performed a classic Peking opera fluently. he won a Shanghainese compe-
aria. to close the show, Blevins took the tition when he was just 5 years old.”
stage with a guitar, and the family of Performer and producer lin Quan
four sang a popular Chinese love song. and his daughter lin hanqi performed
“I’ve been living in Shanghai for 15 after she decided to abandon her fenc-
years,” Blevins said. “I think Shanghai ing hobby because his business was hit
is the best. I love Chinese culture, and I hard by the coronavirus outbreak.
love Peking opera.” “It has bridged the generation gap,
Zhou said she and Blevins met at a and we have become close friends,” lin
gathering in Xintiandi 15 years ago and said. “I hope my daughter never forgets
got married two years later. Now, the the time she spent growing up with her
young couple and Zhou’s parents live on parents when she’s an adult.”
different floors in the same building. More than 600 families submit-
“the competition has brought us clos- ted videos of their performances
er together,” Zhou said. “We visit each over a 3-month period, including re-
other more frequently. this is my first tired couples, disabled children and
time performing on stage with my par- mixed Chinese-Western families. All and one of the competition’s organizers, I’ve been living in
ents. I’ve sent videos of our performance chosen participants gave 5-minute commented on how much time people Shanghai for 15 years.
to my in-laws back in the uK. they said performances. spent at home during the CoVID-19
they could feel our happiness.” After a preliminary round, 115 fami- outbreak, which triggered many family I think Shanghai is the
other contestants included 8-year- lies reached the semifinals, where they disputes. best.
old Zhou Chengyi, who performed performed in front of a live audience. “We hope local families can talk about
Shanghai-style rap accompanied by his ten families performed in the final conflicts they’ve gone through to edu-
grandfather’s band. round. cate others and bring families closer Graeme Blevins
“I love Shanghai-style rap, which has luo Xin, a well-known local tV anchor together,” luo said. Resident in Jing’an

A pathway to fresh air by way of elevators

Xiao Li much noise. Neighborhood officials very
patiently persuaded him to change his
ZhANg Juntao’s 94-year-old mother is mind,” she added.
counting the days until she can go outside. It took a year to install an elevator in the
She has been staying in her home on the second building, but at least two years be-
fourth floor of her building in Jing’an’s fore elevators were installed in the third
huayiyuan neighborhood for more than and fourth buildings, according to ge Jun,
6 months, because it’s challenging for her a subdistrict official.
72-year-old son to move her. “over the years, we have gotten better
last month, workers began installing an at persuading residents, who have become
elevator in her building, which should be much more cooperative,” ge said.
completed in two months. Sun Shoujuan, 84, lives in the third
“I’ve told her she’ll soon be able to go building. She’s happy her friends can enjoy
outside to breathe the fresh air — she’s the convenience of having an elevator.
so excited,” Zhang said. “Actually, all of “I moved here in 1954 with my hus-
us are looking forward to it. Many of her band,” Sun said. “Around 2006, we moved
neighbors are in their 70s and 80s, and out because my husband had issues with
some have trouble walking by themselves his lungs and couldn’t climb the stairs.”
just like my mother.” the elevator in the third building was
Zhang’s mother’s building has six floors completed in 2017, but Sun’s husband had
and is the last of the four old buildings already passed away.
in the neighborhood to have an elevator “I felt so lonely living in a strange
installed. neighborhood after he passed away,”
“We were envying those living in other she said. “When I heard about the eleva-
buildings,” Zhang said. tor installation, I immediately moved
“At first, one of my mother’s neigh- back. here, I can be with my old friends
bors didn’t want an elevator installed and neighbors. I’ll never leave again. It’s Residents of Huayiyuan neighborhood in Jing’an are excited to have an elevator
because he was afraid it would make too where I’ve spent most of my life.” installed in their building. — Ti Gong