Historical buildings in Shanghai get smart with codes

Visitors to the "Villa Community" around Hunan Road, Xuhui district of Shanghai, can now use their smartphones to find out more about the area's historic buildings.

Under a trial scheme launched by the local cultural heritage authority, 20 buildings in the area have been given their own Quick Response (QR) codes.

"By scanning the codes, visitors will be able to access audio and visual information about the properties," a local housing official said.

"The service is provided in both Chinese and English," he said.

Among the houses selected for the trial is No. 113 Wukang Road, the former home of Ba Jin (aka Li Yaotang, 1904-2005), who is one of the most widely read Chinese writers of the 20th century.

By scanning the QR code at the entrance to the site, people can get access to a map of the building, photos of Ba, and information about his life and work.

Other buildings in the trial include Dingxiang Villa, which once housed the Italian Consulate; and the former homes of Huang Xing — a key figure in the 1911 Revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) — and local gangster Du Yuesheng.

Authorities plan to include QR codes at historic buildings across the city, though a timetable has yet to be decided, the official said.