‘I have to fight with others for toilet’: Devoted Chinese scientist lives in a 150-square-feet room

Too bad. Is this the building where the old and dedicated Chinese Academy of Sciences scientists live? A scientist shares his story. The Kuyuan Community, located in Haidian District, Beijing, is the housing area that the Chinese Academy of Sciences allocated to its employees. Built in the 1950s and mostly made out of simple bungalows, the Kuyuan Community used to be home to many famous Chinese scientists. Two of those worth mentioning are Qian Xuesheng, father of Chinese rocketry, and Qian Sanchang, father of China's atomic bomb. However, without proper maintenance, the 70-year-old apartment has gradually faced problems plaguing the residents here. Duan Yuanxing is a member of the 5th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He worked at the National Astronomical Observatory Duan Yuanxing discovered a new star and was later admitted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a graduate student of Beijing Astronomical Observatory. His story was mentioned in the junior high school Chinese textbook and in a report titled Young People Exploring the Mysteries of the Starry Sky. But the retired astronomer now lives with his wife in a cramped room of less than 14 square meters, or 150 square feet, in Building 16. The lighting is poor because there is only one light bulb. Due to the limited space, the room is full of debris, with only a single bed in the corner. He and his wife sleep there. This building has a history of nearly 70 years. However, only two buildings within the area were renovated as the first batch of historical buildings in Beijing. The other buildings have never been renovated. The sanitary conditions are concerning. The walls are damaged and moldy. There have been leakages on the inside. Many locals claim that basic repairs are not good because these old structures have already been used to their maximum capacity. Everyone hopes for a huge improvement in living conditions. Mrs. Wan, Duan Yuanxing's wife, said, I am a researcher of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. I have lived here since graduating in 1978. I have worked in this academy all my life. I have no space of my own, and I have to fight with others for toilets. In 2014, Haidian District signed an agreement with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to renovate the Zhongguansun East District, including the Keyuan community. According to the agreement, the Haidian District and the Chinese Academy of Sciences will jointly renovate old buildings in the area and improve the living conditions of researchers there. But Mrs. Wan, Duan Yuanxing's wife, said that although the residents have reported many times, no renovation has been done. She said, Under such a situation, no one cares about this issue. Everyone has reported it several times, and the Academy of Sciences simply ignores you.