In the wake of Typhoon Dolphin, the air in Yulan Qingyuan Residential Community in Xujing Town, Qingpu District, carries the fresh scent of rain-washed foliage. Morning traffic flows smoothly through the gate, the roads are level, and there is little standing water. It is hard to imagine that this community, one of 43 at the municipal level designated for a "bottom-up uplift" in Qingpu District, was once a problem-ridden neighborhood mired in difficulty.
The transformation, however, extends well beyond Xujing Town. Between January and July this year, Qingpu District delivered a robust report card on people's livelihoods: complaints related to property management dropped 22.8% year-on-year, with parking-related grievances falling by as much as 40.66%. Party branches were established in all 230 eligible residential communities, and 445 neighborhoods opened dedicated accounts for public revenue oversight. Behind these figures lies a profound shift in community-level governance—a story of practical reform and exploration.
How did the journey from a "problem list" to a "happiness list" unfold? Recently, reporters visited multiple residential communities across Qingpu District to uncover the solutions driving party-led property management reforms. At the start of 2024, Li Chao was appointed as the Party Secretary of the Yulan Qingyuan Neighborhood Party General Branch. When he first convened a meeting of building captains, most attendees came armed with resignation letters. "Secretary Li, this job is simply impossible!"—he heard that refrain over and over again.
Yulan Qingyuan is a large-scale municipal affordable housing community, home to 2,092 households drawn from eight different administrative districts of Shanghai. Residents barely know one another, and their demands are wildly diverse. At the time, Li Chao and the neighborhood's party committee faced three towering challenges: deteriorating community conditions, severe parking shortages, and an aging population. Property management was weak, with facilities falling into disrepair; there were only 840 parking spots for over 1,200 vehicles daily, often blocking fire lanes; and more than 35% of residents were retirees, making it difficult to establish a homeowners' committee.
"The harder the place, the more the party organization must step up," Li Chao asserted. Tackling the poor environment and difficult rectification, they began with the thorny issue of cluttered hallways. In November 2024, a newly appointed property management company entered the scene, and its first major battle was clearing rooftop debris and illegal structures. Under the leadership of the party branch, the "three carriages"—the residents' committee, the homeowners' committee, and the property company—avoided heavy-handed "crackdowns" and instead used the approach of "turning waste ground into gardens" to encourage building-by-building experimentation.
During his rounds, Li Chao discovered that Yu Yihua, a veteran party member from Building 1 of Lane 58, had a passion for horticulture. Yu took the initiative to move abandoned potted plants down from the rooftop and proposed creating a "shared garden" using the green belt at the building's entrance, rallying neighbors to participate in cleaning and maintenance together. Soon, the front of Building 1 was completely revitalized—lush green pots replaced the mess of clutter, and "seeing scenery outside the door" became "scenery right at your doorstep." Yu Yihua joyfully accepted a "Happy Building" plaque from the neighborhood party organization.
The renewal of Building 1 shifted residents from "standing and watching" to "working alongside each other." Before long, Yu's success inspired eight adjacent buildings to follow suit. Retired party members went door-to-door to mobilize their neighbors, while the property company coordinated with urban management to thoroughly clear hallway debris. Trust among neighbors was rebuilt through collective action. Through the "community consultation hall," over 50 practical initiatives were implemented, including new charging sheds, road patches, and pavilion renovations. Participation in community governance soared from less than 10% to 70%, transforming the community from a "loose pile of sand" to a model of shared governance.
The second major challenge—the parking nightmare—was tackled with equal determination. The party branch led over ten rounds of consultation meetings, combining online surveys with door-to-door visits, and organized resident representatives to study other communities. The "three carriages" held joint office hours through "Good Neighbor Consultation Forums," clarifying needs and refining the plan through vigorous debate. After multiple revisions, renderings of the solution were posted to every household, and liaison team members divided responsibilities to explain the safety and environmental benefits. Ultimately, the homeowners' assembly replaced the flat 5-yuan-per-day fee with a tiered pricing structure, prioritizing first vehicles of residents, unlocking underutilized corner spaces, boosting public revenue by 150%, and installing 105 smart charging piles.
Today, parking is orderly, and residents' demand to "charge as soon as they get home" has become a daily reality. Even more encouraging, some resident representatives who had previously been at odds with the neighborhood committee over historical issues like parking and housing repairs have now successfully run for seats on the homeowners' committee—evolving from skeptics into active participants in governance. Wang Luqi, General Manager and Party Branch Secretary of Ledao Property, who has witnessed the community's battles and rebirth firsthand, expressed sincere admiration: he noted that party building has truly become a tangible force within the community, not just a slogan on a wall. With this force, the party organization unites residents with diverse interests, advancing both institutional norms and value creation in tandem.
Currently, Yulan Qingyuan is focusing its efforts on the aging problem—addressing both the physical deterioration of building facades and the demographic shift where over 35% of residents are retirees. On August 1st, an embedded elderly care service team officially moved in, with dedicated silver-haired service stewards taking up residence. They are collaborating with party members, building captains, and property volunteers to conduct household-by-household needs assessments and build precise profiles of senior residents. From an "aging pain point" to a "pillar of well-being," Yulan Qingyuan is forging a model of warmth for the future.
The "Five Matters Work Method": Infusing Governance with Human Warmth The remarkable turnaround of Yulan Qingyuan is just one example of Qingpu District's broader push for party-led property management. On a scorching summer day, delivery riders, couriers, and sanitation workers toil under the blazing sun. In Qinghe Bay Community on Xianghuaqiao Street, a "love express shuttle" stops at the "Red Anchor Water Collection Point," offering a bottle of ice water or a cold drink—small gestures carrying immense care.
Leveraging its strategic position at the forefront of Qingpu New City, the Yangtze River Delta Integration Demonstration Zone, and the Hongqiao International Open Hub, Xianghuaqiao Street has pioneered the "Five Matters Work Method"—listening to neighborhood affairs, discussing community issues, handling collective tasks, evaluating public actions, and sharing in happiness. Qingpu District has elevated this method to the district level, with each subdistrict adapting it locally to yield a vibrant array of governance approaches.
When applied to the Xinxinyuan Community at 238 Shangtai Road, the "Five Matters" method was vividly described as "one core, four leaves": the party's "initial heart core" combined with the "four-leaf clover" emblem of Qingpu. Xinxinyuan is a resettlement community with inherent design flaws—the entrance's vehicle and pedestrian lanes were only separated by painted lines, leaving dangerously insufficient buffer space. During rush hours, heavy traffic created bottlenecks and frequent collisions, resulting in property damage and neighborhood conflicts, making it a stubborn governance headache.
To address this, the neighborhood party organization used the "Five Matters" method to spearhead public listening sessions. After multiple rounds of discussions, a plan was finalized: "widen the buffer zone and add guardrails." The solution involved removing the existing steps on the right side of the entrance, expanding the pedestrian lane by one meter, and installing both a buffer area and physical barriers to achieve true separation of foot and vehicle traffic. Project funds were managed in a dedicated account, with full financial transparency and resident oversight, completing the entire renovation in just 20 days. "We used to enter and exit the community with our hearts in our mouths, but now it's safe and harmonious!" residents exclaimed with relief.
As one annoyance after another was resolved, the "one core, four leaves" governance system became clearer: the "core" consolidates organizational strength, the "warm leaf" upgrades neighborhood committee services, the "pioneer leaf" strengthens property execution, the "mirror leaf" activates homeowners' committee oversight, and the "star leaf" blooms resident self-governance—all driving the deep integration of the three pillars. In the view of Chai Junyong, a specially appointed expert to Qingpu District's party-led property governance think tank and former Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal Government, the positioning of the "three carriages" in community governance boils down to twelve words: "same direction, same goal, no blame-shifting, each fulfilling duties."
This means the residents' committee should respond whenever the people call; the homeowners' committee should answer to those who elected them; and the property company should be diligent on the job when owners have needs. Perhaps those twelve words capture the essence of the warmth behind the "Five Matters Work Method." Sustaining Governance Effectiveness: The Proof Is in the Mechanisms Property governance involves countless moving parts, so how can all parties pull in the same direction? Qingpu District's answer is a specialized task force paired with a closed-loop system.
Early this year, Qingpu optimized its district-level special working mechanism for party-led property governance. The district's deputy party secretary serves as chief convener, with the head of the organization department and the deputy district mayor in charge as deputy conveners. Three core departments—the Organization Department, the Social Work Department, and the Housing Authority—take the lead, with over 20 member units collaborating through a fully operational task force. The team, composed of young cadres seconded from various units and based at the Housing Authority, addressed the critical issue of manpower while also serving as a training ground for future leaders. Each subdistrict has established parallel mechanisms and task forces, creating a closed loop from district-level coordination to subdistrict action to neighborhood implementation.
Building the task force was only the first step; solving problems is the real test. Qingpu has zeroed in on 43 municipal-level and 30 district-level key districts, assigning department-level cadres to take direct responsibility, guiding the "three carriages" to jointly craft a tailored "one community, one plan," with the goal of fully resolving these issues by year-end. So far this year, the task force has conducted 3,156 joint inspections, investigated 2,685 problems, and nipped property management risks in the bud.
How is sustained effectiveness guaranteed? The answer lies in a "daily reminder, weekly analysis, monthly scheduling, and quarterly review" cycle—a comprehensive closed-loop management system that leaves no gap for problems to hide. Each day, work orders are sorted and warnings dispatched immediately; each week, task force leaders meet to analyze common issues; each month, the district's organization minister and deputy district mayor chair scheduling meetings where underperforming units must explain themselves on the spot; and each quarter, the deputy party secretary directly reviews progress, further cementing accountability. "The daily reminders are like handling petitions—each day we identify where problems arise and immediately flag them," said a grassroots cadre. This ensures unimpeded directives, effective coordination, and high-efficiency execution.
For the next phase, Qingpu is planning to establish an on-site training center for property governance and accelerate the development of a talent pool for homeowners' committee members. A committee secretary system is already being piloted in 24 communities, and outstanding committee members will receive priority recommendation for positions as party representatives, people's congress delegates, and political advisory committee members.
Reporter's Note: Party Building Is the Golden Key to Problem-Solving Community property governance operates at the intersection of precision urban management on one side and the heartfelt needs of countless families on the other. Qingpu's approach transcends the short-term, "put out the immediate fire" mindset, homing in on one core principle: the people's problems must be genuinely resolved. From the district leadership's high-level attention to the task force's daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly closed-loop handling; from the district-wide standardization of the "Five Matters Work Method" to the flourishing, locally adapted autonomy brands across subdistricts; from three-tiered oversight involving municipal, district, and town levels to the creation of a talent reserve through homeowners' committee pools and training bases—Qingpu's exploration balances macro coordination with micro implementation, offering both a unified governance template and space for grassroots innovation.
During interviews, a persistent question lingered: why do the "three carriages" often stall in other places, despite the widespread rallying cry for party-led community governance? The root cause typically lies in "each pulling in its own direction." Qingpu's answer is to use party building as a "stitching needle" to thread together the "thousand threads" of diverse strengths, with the core being the organizational logic of how to bind scattered forces into a single rope. The task of grassroots party organizations is not to replace the "three carriages" by running errands themselves, but to act as the red engine—transforming the residents' committee, the homeowners' committee, and the property company from "running separately" to "running in unison," and turning residents from "bystanders" into "participants."
This is precisely what Chai Junyong, the expert advisor, emphasized: the "three carriages" must adhere to the twelve-character principle of "same direction, no blame-shifting, and each fulfilling their duties." Qingpu's practice offers a lesson: converting the party's organizational strengths into governance effectiveness is what can rally the most formidable force among myriad lights—this is the golden key to solving grassroots governance challenges.