Xiahao Old Street. (Photo by Tan Yingzi/China Daily)
It took them three months to finish. They made most of the decorations themselves, from materials collected from the community.
Xiao Guan was soon discovered by photographers and tourists, including a photographer working for the Chinese edition of the National Geographic magazine. Now its a photographer's hot spot in Xiahao.
On the wooden shelves are piles of books donated by the local library and anyone can borrow them for free.
"Xiao Guan is our working studio as well as a place for people to read and relax," says Xie Ranran.
They are encouraged and happy to see more and more young people attracted by these nostalgic mementos. Some couples now even choose to take their wedding photos in Xiahao.
"It is recognition of our city and our culture," she says.
They are planning to continue their renovation project of old houses in Chongqing and call for more public recognition of the city's rich and evocative past.
The good news is that other young people have begun to join Xies' revitalization project of Xiahao Old Street. A group of artists volunteered to paint the outside walls of the old houses with images and graffiti, lending the block a modern, creative feel.
Xiao Hao Lane and Frozen Green House are other teahouses that opened in this old block.
Ao Wei, the owner of Frozen Green House, is a freelancer. She has dedicated herself to preserving the old parts of Chongqing for years and written articles about the old town.
Inspired and touched by the young people's actions, the residents feel they should do something too to make their community more beautiful.
Wang Zhaoqun, who runs a mahjong parlor, has placed dozens of pots with colorful plants along the street.
"So many tourists come to visit our community now, so we should make the place more welcoming," Wang says.
Shui Bijun, a graduate student at Sichuan University of Foreign Studies in Chongqing, was on a photo shoot with her classmates in Xiahao.
"I read about it on blogs and it is much more interesting than those modern sightseeing sites," she says.
