Gu Shiren, aged 70, was a senior engineer at a factory of the Baosteel Group Corporation before retirement, and his wife was a leader at a textile mill. The couple lived in Nanjing for many years before choosing to settle down in Shanghai for their retirement.

Despite the limited space of their home, they keep it neat and elegant. The antique bookshelves are filled with a variety of books, and traditional Chinese landscape paintings on the walls enhance the home's scholarly ambience. Gu Shiren is fond of calligraphy and Chinese painting, which can be seen in Spring Breezes Bringing Warmth, a painting he copied in ink and wash, hanging on the wall. At one end of his living room is a desk, with a traditional writing brush, inkstick, inkslab and paper placed on its top. Practicing calligraphy and painting and sharing that joy with his friends give him great pleasure. Another source of pleasure for the elderly couple is their grandson Alexander, who moved to China around the age of three. Now the little boy attends a local kindergarten, and speaks fluent Chinese.

Gu Shiren and his wife looked forward to the opportunity of hosting foreign friends and offering them a relaxed home stay. "We will tidy up the room, and prepare some local Shanghai dishes if they like. Anyway, we think it's best not to arrange anything too strictly. Our main goal is to treat foreign guests as long-time friends and provide them with a comfortable Chinese experience."

Liu Keying: Never Too Late to Live a Low-carbon Lifestyle

The best known figure in the Linfen Community is an 82-year-old woman, Liu Keying. As an "Ambassador of Green Life," she not only practices aerobics almost everyday to keep fit, but also incorporates the idea of sustainable development in tiny tiger-headed shoes she makes.

Tiger-headed shoes are a traditional handicraft designed for infants; they are cool in summer and warm in winter. Tiger is a symbol to ward off evil sprits and keep the baby safe, and bring them health and longevity.

The shoes are infused with Liu Keying's childhood memories. Before coming to Shanghai at age 18, she lived in Changzhou, a city in southern Jiangsu on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. As a young girl, she would watch her mother and elder sister sew the tiger-headed shoes, and gradually acquired the know-how. Thereafter, she would often produce them as presents. So far, the people that have benefited from her handmade shoes include not only her own offspring, but also children of her friends and neighbors.

The older she gets, the more difficulties she has in making shoes stitch by stitch. In spite of this, she still took the time to finish 30 or so pairs of cute and elaborate tiger-headed shoes in eager anticipation of her overseas guests.

The shoes made by Liu Keying are not only of utility and aesthetic value, but also in accordance with the low-carbon concept in that the raw materials she uses are either discarded cloth from used quilts or the satin lining from gift wrappings. If you look carefully, you will notice a vague trademark on the tiger head. It is no doubt a healthy blend of fashion and sustainable development.

The guest room offered by Liu Keying belongs to her grandson who is studying in Germany. Stacks of books, colorful car models, basketballs and a limited edition jersey from soccer star Michael Owen tell the story of a passionate bookworm and a sport lover. When such a cozy room and such a lovely host await, who needs to stay in a hotel lacking in human touch?