By Liu Xinyu
(ECNS) – "I support women who make handicrafts, especially those who create these beautiful handmade items. That's why I bought them," said Indira Rana, member of the Federal Parliament of Nepal and former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal, as she tried on a pair of handmade, red flower-shaped earrings at Beicang Cultural & Creative Block in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area.
She also bought other earrings and a chili‑shaped magnet. "I can put the magnet in my kitchen to remember the place."
The Beicang Li urban regeneration project was recently selected as one of the 30 outstanding global practice cases in the inaugural International Outstanding Practices on Urban Regeneration (IOPUR) awards. The awards are co-hosted by UN-Habitat and Shanghai University, and the results were announced at the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Azerbaijan.
The urban regeneration project, which comprises the Beicang Cultural & Creative Block and Beicang Li, has transformed the former warehouses of a textile factory into a vibrant cultural and creative destination.
It brings together a diverse mix of facilities, including a library, art spaces and lifestyle concept venues. The Beicang Li project renovated 44 residential buildings in an older neighborhood, benefiting approximately 1,487 households.
Rana told China News Service during the visit that "Beicang Cultural & Creative Block really promotes nature and culture. I like the way the place develops -- keeping the old wall or roof, along with memories and people's emotions. We need development and renovation, but we also need to keep some memories as they are. That's how we protect human feelings - that's what human rights are about."
Rana also said: "Young people need a space. They come to drink, have ice cream, hang around and make videos here. I love the block - the way they organize space for young people is very nice."
Crispin Kaheru, a member of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, told China News Service: "In my country, some traditional crafts have disappeared and we want to bring them back. Beicang Cultural & Creative Block is a very good model to learn from."
"The building we are in now is still the same old building, but it has been redesigned and customized for modern life and young people. In my country, we also need to redesign our handmade art in a way that local people can use in their daily lives," Kaheru added.
Kaheru said, "I think the block is a good model that helps young people start a business. I've seen many young people making social media videos here to showcase local life and culture to the rest of China and the world. So it's also an important space for young people to showcase their talent, culture and values."
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