Photo: Screenshot from website

 
Yubei District of Chongqing City in Southwest China recently opened Pack Basket Market, repurposing a former air-raid shelter as a sales venue for vegetable farmers. Through this innovative use, Chongqing not only retains the memory of its history, but also responds to the needs of the new era.

"The Pack Basket Market truly realizes the integration of military and civil cultures. The purpose of air-raid shelters was to protect people during wartime. Today, in the age of peace, we have not let these air-raid shelters sit idle, but have given them a new life," Yang Gen, an official with the Chongqing Development and Reform Commission, told the Global Times.

The Pack Basket Market not only shows respect for history but also builds prospects for the future. Here, history and modernity, tradition and innovation, and military and civil purposes are integrated, showing the unique cultural charm and spiritual outlook of Chongqing.

The new market “not only solves a problem for farmers who have difficulty in selling vegetables, but also beautifies the cityscape. We hope to contribute to the construction of the new Chongqing in the new era," Yang added.

The air-raid shelter is in the center of the city. It offers a shady environment, providing an ideal place for vegetable farmers to sell their goods.

The market will open again on May 25, and the local government plans to increase publicity about it. There are also plans for further use of air-raid shelters and ways to promote interaction between vegetable farmers and the public.