In a city decried for having no history, Hubei Village is an anomaly, with buildings dating back 500 years, to the Ming Dynasty, according to preservationists.
It’s also set for destruction.
Having survived this long on prime real estate in Luohu, Hubei Village's days may finally be coming to an end. Outside of the Hubei's ancestral hall a banner hangs on a wall: “Old Hubei Village is our home, the success of improvement depends on everyone."
The improvement? Razing the area to build a MixC mall.
“We do business here, of course it’s better if they don’t knock it down,” said Lin Manshu, but, Lin said, it doesn’t really matter what she thinks. The people who own Hubei Village don’t live there.
Many of the people who own the buildings have left China, according to Cai Yan, 30.
“One hundred percent of the original people don’t live here. We’re all from other places,” said Cai, sitting in the rented shop he has run for about ten years in an alleyway in Hubei.
Chinese media recently turned a spotlight on Hubei Village, with historians calling for it to be protected. But the area was never declared a cultural heritage site and the Hubei Industrial Corp.—a commercial group representing landowners from the area—said 97 percent of its members have agreed to the construction plans, according to news reports.
The wrecking ball may soon be coming for this old corner of Shenzhen.
[Images via Jesse Warren and Charles Hatfield]
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