At the century-old Yuyuan Road, a five-year-old “Story Store” accompanies the people. Here, the displayed “goods” are stories, the exchanged “currencies” are stories - someone comes here, opens their hearts and leaves behind stories.

Some people also come here and rush by to take away the story. In a loop, stories of all sizes gather and interact here, warm, sad, dreamy, and nostalgic... Colorful content fills this small space, allowing strangers to find a bond of spiritual communication here.

In the past five years, the “Story Store” has received tens of thousands of cards, condensing the colorful light and diverse life of our city. Although each one is ordinary and slightly trivial, there are often poetic words gently tapping into your heart.

Xu Yinlan, manager of Changning’s community renewal and construction center, said that the aspiration of establishing the “Story Store” was based on how to open up the barriers between people and the city in the urban renewal of Yuyuan Road, and how to use some heartwarming actions to shape the humanistic spirit of this city.

So, there was a “Story Store.” And the function here has evolved from one-way information dissemination to an intermediate interactive spot where information can be accurately transmitted from bottom to top and from top to bottom. 

Here, people can learn about the latest move of government agencies and have the right to express their demands. Here, people not only see, but also speak. They are not bystanders, but participants. The “Story Store” has become a “worry free grocery store.”

In the “Story Store,” there are two types of co-creation cards designed: “Lifers” and “Observers,” attracting everyone to record their stories with Yuyuan Road. 

This becomes a carrier for every pedestrian passing by to record their own stories with the neighborhood. The text on the card initially consisted mostly of complaints from surrounding residents, but over time, the number of complaints gradually decreased. Instead, it became a space for everyone to record their own stories, and this small space is affecting the people on the street.

The vitalization of the “Story Store” space largely stems from the joint creation of different partners in the Yuyuan Road block, enabling different groups and audiences to find meaning in the space. 

Whether it is a space where 1,000 people pass through once or a space where 100 people pass through 10 times, it carries everyone’s memories. 

At the same time, story cards and cultural products from the “Story Store” truthfully record different stories and memories, spreading more oral history, local chronicles, and cultural phenomena on a larger scale.

Edited by Shanghai Daily