Gucheng Street, in Xinhua County, in Loudi, a city in Central China's Hunan Province, appears to be no different from other ancient streets. But a plaque, on the memorial gate at the entrance of the street, is particularly eye-catching. Why? The plaque reads, "Street with Good Family Traditions."

There are 1,310 households, with a combined 3,110 residents, on the street, which is situated in Shizijie Community, Shangmei Subdistrict. Fourteen of the community's 19 workers are women, and 59 of its 89 members of the Communist Party of China are women. Shangmei Women's Federation has established a team of volunteers, and 70 percent of those volunteers are women. 

In recent years, Shangmei Women's Federation and Shizijie Community have honored 60 model families who reside on the 920-meter-long street. Those model families have played a positive role in fostering stronger family ties, values and traditions, and in promoting good social conduct among residents.

Wu Suzhen, 96, married into the Xiao family more than 70 years ago. Her five-generation family has 49 people, among whom 11 are Party members, and 16 are volunteers in the community. Wu has six sons — the eldest is 76, and the youngest is in his early 60s. 

Some of her family members are veterans, folk artists, outstanding citizens in Loudi and model workers in Xinhua. Wu is a warmhearted person. She once led her family in donating money during an activity aimed at promoting the development of education in the subdistrict. 

Wu gets along well with her six daughters-in-law, who take good care of her. During festivals and holidays, the big family always has a reunion dinner. 

In 2017, a workshop on family values and traditions, the first of its kind in Loudi, was established in Xiao's family. The workshop attracts a large number of visitors, who attend lectures on family values and traditions. 

In 2021, Wu's family was selected one of the nation's most beautiful families. Her eldest son, Xiao Baotian, says he always remembers his family's rules and instructions, such as being loyal and having filial piety, putting honesty and courtesy first, and being industrious and thrifty. The family's instructions have been handed down through 10 generations — or for nearly 200 years.

Liu Xiaoju, who suffers from brittle bone disease, had to quit school and learn by herself at home when she was a teenager. She later attended a training course on Xiang embroidery, which was organized by Hunan Disabled Persons' Federation. After she concluded the course, she received a recommendation to work at Changsha Fangyun Xiang Embroidery Factory.

"Xiang embroidery is my favorite art form, and also the backbone of my life," Liu says. As a member of the Hunan team, she participated in a national vocational-skills competition, and she and her teammates won first prize. She also won first prize during a provincial competition in Hunan, and she received the title of craftsman of Loudi several years ago.

To realize her dream of helping more disabled people find employment, Liu, with the help of local authorities, established a Xiang embroidery studio, on Gucheng Street, in 2020. 

So far, Liu has trained 62 people for free, including disabled people, laid-off women workers, and students who love embroidery. Liu's family was named, by the community, as a model family of self-improvement.

Yan Xinmin, 73, is a Party member. She has served as a volunteer since her retirement. In 2021, Yan was named the most beautiful volunteer in Loudi. She has also been selected as one of the top 10 volunteers in Shangmei Subdistrict.

Li Guihua is a warmhearted woman. On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival (which fell on June 3 in 2022), she and her family made dumplings, sesame sugar buns and meat buns, and they shared them with community volunteers. 

Li Zemin's family is a Family of Books, as the family is known for always creating a good reading atmosphere. The family of Wu Jianhua is a Family of Filial Piety. Wu, 63, has been taking good care of his mother throughout the years. Xie Junjie is a member of a Family of Volunteers. After his retirement, Xie and his wife joined the team of volunteers to help maintain the clean environment on the street.

Wang Gangkui's wonton restaurant is very popular on the street. The time-honored restaurant has been passed down through three generations. His family is called a Family of Honesty. The family has always adhered to the business principle of being honest and doing things with a conscience. The family has long been dedicated to making healthy and delicious dishes. Each family's stories, on the street, have been spoken highly among the locals, and spread far and wide.  

Photos Supplied by Hunan Women's Federation

(Women of China English Monthly January 2023 issue)