Editor's note: An old housing area in downtown Shanghai, built between the 1950s and the 1960s for the industrial workers, has recently been given an entirely new look after whitewashing and decorating. The renovation project was jointly sponsored and undertaken by the Siping district government and Tongji University's College of Design and Innovation. In the past three months, designers, artists and students have worked hard and given free rein to their imagination, intelligence and abilities in bringing the project to a successful conclusion. Their original and unique creation ingeniously integrated esthetic perceptions with the residents' daily life and community activities.

Artists' creative wall graffiti and paintings are seen in a housing area in the Yangpu district, Shanghai, on Dec 24, 2015. This gives the old areas an entirely new look. [Photo by Zhou Dongchao/China.com.cn]