There are many ways to enter the Caojiaxiang community, and taking the route from Taisheng South Road offers a deeper experience. Exiting from the Taisheng South Road subway station, walk straight to the north bank of the Fu River, and Caojiaxiang will be increasingly closer.
There is a saying online that Caojiaxiang was originally just a small stone-paved street on the north bank of the Fu River, which historically was a famous tobacco wharf in Chengdu. The tobacco leaves transported by cargo ships along the Fu River were gathered and traded here, making Caojiaxiang a vital thoroughfare for goods.
At that time, the chicken carts used for transporting goods operated back and forth from morning till night, over time, this stone-paved road was worn into grooves, hence the name “Caojiaxiang” derived from “槽家巷” (Groove Family Alley).
Later, to facilitate identification of this small alley, Caojiaxiang became one of many streets in Chengdu named after surnames, despite the fact that very few people with the surname Cao actually live there.
Walking into Caojiaxiang, one cannot help but be attracted by the large number of red brick houses, a type of housing that is now rarely seen, standing out in the modern city of Chengdu, which is rapidly advancing towards becoming a first-tier city.
These houses with red brick sloped roofs are products of the construction industry reform in the 1950s.
Before the liberation of Chengdu, the Caojiaxiang community consisted only of Caojiaxiang street, with fields surrounding it. In the early 1950s, the provincial and municipal construction systems built a large number of dormitories in this area to improve the living conditions of workers. At that time, the construction workers who contributed sweat and effort to Chengdu’s development lived here, thus the name “Worker’s Village” was born.
These three-story Soviet-style tube buildings made of red bricks were particularly eye-catching at the time, and the gaps between the buildings extended more roads, giving the residents of Caojiaxiang a broader outlook on life.
Seeing the Worker’s Village was actually a serendipitous discovery; initially, I was attracted by the red brick houses covered in climbing ivy, not realizing thatthese houses rooted in my childhood memories were continuously drawing me towards the Worker’s Village.
The entrance to the Worker’s Village is quite inconspicuous, located at a recessed corner with a security booth and a barrier. Most people passing by are residents hurriedly carrying groceries.
The large three-dimensional characters at the entrance are quite spirited. On the left wall of the entrance, the development process of the Worker’s Village is inscribed,climbing towards a broader space like the ivy on the houses.
In the 1990s, under the huge wave of state-owned enterprise restructuring and layoffs, countless workers’ lives were forced to hit the pause button, adding a new mark to the stereotype of “poverty” at the north gate.
Since 2014, with the advancement of the “North Renovation” project in Caojiaxiang, the area that was once undergoing a healing phase has regained vitality.
Some buildings were relocated and demolished, replaced with high-rise buildings and leisure squares; the narrow streets expanded, and the flow of vehicles and people noticeably increased. As for the shops in the inner Caojiaxiang that still retain rusty streetlights and red brick tiles, they have left a lasting impression of the three characters “Caojiaxiang” in people’s hearts.
This indelible nostalgia, rooted in the genes of the people at the north gate and even Chengdu residents, may be the foundation of the current scene in Caojiaxiang where the old and new blend together. The rebirth of the Worker’s Village has woven a solid and delicate shell for Caojiaxiang.
When the wounds heal, these bricks, tiles, and trees that carry the lives of workers become solidified in the cocoon of time’s memory.
If the Worker’s Village is the memory cocoon of Caojiaxiang, then Caojiaxiang is an SD card with infinite memory for Chengdu.
In the memories of many locals, the area connecting Taisheng South Road and Caojiaxiang is chaotic.This chaos is not a derogatory term, but rather signifies that Caojiaxiang encompasses too many things.
A friend who spent his childhood in Caojiaxiang told me that his impression of Caojiaxiang was that Taisheng South Road was always selling stolen phones and pirated tapes, but he also remembers the street vendor at the entrance of Caojiaxiang selling skewers that left a lasting taste in his memory.
He said that the streets here were always dirty, but he often felt joy from the fountains and colorful lights by the Fu River.
As one of the “North Renovation” projects, Caojiaxiang naturally has been updated.
In addition to having its own community large living square, the small stalls on Taisheng South Road have transformed into shops selling mobile phones and home appliances, the streets have been paved with new asphalt, and parks have been built along the Fu River, filled with flowers and plants, making the entire area clean and tidy.
New buildings have been constructed in the Worker’s Village, and red brick houses are no longer the only option. Many shops have opened on the first floor,making life feel orderly and vibrant, reminiscent of “Caojiaxiang”.
The craftsmanship in the area has successfully brought Caojiaxiang into the “internet celebrity” ranks. Around the perimeter of the Worker’s Village, trendy and stylish shops have sprung up along the walls,including coffee shops, restaurants, flower shops, pet stores, and pubs, all injecting fresh blood into Caojiaxiang.
Various murals have been painted on the walls along the roadside; the resting stations have been built to resemble bus stops, and even the crosswalks are colorful.
In the future, Caojiaxiang will not only be red brick and cement gray; it will be vibrant and colorful, becoming the new hue of Caojiaxiang.
“For a place where I grew up for 20 years, my feelings are very complex. In fact, those who have left do not like it there, just as no one wants to mention being born in a slum with a chaotic childhood. However, one is always grateful for their birthplace. But pure happiness outweighs the domestic violence and the dirtiness of a construction worker’s family… The harmony and friendliness among neighbors outweigh the quarrels and feuds. That rich and complex environment and emotions are the greatest wealth of life.”
——Netizen: Shui Xian
After taking a stroll around Caojiaxiang, I found that most of the residents still living here are elderly, and many places are still under construction,with iron boards blocking the view of grandfathers basking in the sun at their doorsteps, Caojiaxiang continues to grow in the fingerprints of workers.
This ever-evolving Caojiaxiang, with its “rich and complex” nature, may be its enduring essence, just like the SD card that we all fondly remember, once inserted into that small button phone.
Only Caojiaxiang possesses infinite memory, just like no one knows what this place will become tomorrow.
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