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China pilots "quiet communities" to curb urban noise, disputes_我的网站

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    An aerial drone photo taken in October 2025 shows a view of the Dongshan pocket park in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua)When 72-year-old Shi Jikun opened his windows at home in Yuxi, southwest China's Yunnan Province, he used to hear the repeated thud of balls and blowing of whistles from an indoor sports venue near his residential community.
"During the day, I didn't dare open the windows," Shi said, recalling years when the noise disrupted his daily routine.
The sports venue has since undergone two rounds of soundproofing. Sound-absorbing materials were installed on its walls, while double-glazed soundproof windows were fitted along the side facing the residential area.
The noise has eased. "The neighborhood is quiet now, making everyday life much more comfortable," Shi noted.
Shi's experience is part of a broader move underway across China to tackle one of the less obvious costs of urbanization: the growing amount of noise packed into increasingly dense neighborhoods.
As cities expand, the likes of homes, roads, businesses, construction sites and recreational spaces are often crammed together. China has, notably, been testing a neighborhood-level response to this challenge via the development of "quiet communities," combining physical upgrades with local management and mediation.
This initiative was launched as a national pilot project in May 2023. By the end of 2025, a total of 3,272 quiet communities had been built nationwide, benefiting more than 2.4 million households, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
This approach now also has a stronger legal footing. On Saturday, China's Ecological and Environmental Code came into force, with a dedicated section on noise pollution prevention and control.
The scale of the problem is reflected in noise complaints. In 2025, cities at the prefecture level and above received about 6.83 million noise-related complaints, with social-life noise accounting for 73.2 percent.
Noise from neighbors, equipment malfunctions and disturbances from square dancing, a popular group exercise in China often held by middle-aged and older residents in public spaces, were among the most common issues raised.
China's quiet-community program is designed to address such problems before they become recurring disputes. "Quiet communities do not mean that there should be no sound," said Lu Lu, deputy head of the noise management division at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
The goal, Lu said, is to create a comfortable and harmonious living environment while balancing everyday activity with residents' need for quiet.
The solutions vary from place to place. In south China's Shenzhen, some newly built residential communities are incorporating noise control at the planning and design stage. Measures include low-noise pavements, vegetation buffers, separated pedestrian and vehicle routes, and automatic noise-monitoring equipment.
Older communities are using renovation projects to address noise concerns. In Xiaoshan District in east China's Hangzhou, Huiyu garden community replaced aging elevators and repaired drainage grates and other public facilities as part of its quiet-community program.
But physical upgrades alone cannot settle conflicts between neighbors.
At Fenglin Shunhe community in Weihai, eastern China's Shandong Province, residents, property managers, community officials and square-dancing groups agreed to end dancing at 8:30 p.m. The main lights in the square switch off at that time, signaling that it is time for the dancers to leave.
The key is to respond quickly to complaints and give residents and activity groups a way to negotiate solutions, said Jiang Chunyan, head of the neighborhood committee.
In another community in Shenzhen, property managers have gone further by treating renovation noise as a process to be managed proactively rather than a problem to be addressed after complaints arise.
Renovation work is divided into nine stages and mapped on a visual noise-management chart. Property managers use the chart to carry out targeted inspections as work progresses. Contractors are also required to work only during designated hours and under fully enclosed conditions.
The program still faces gaps in terms of regional coverage and long-term maintenance. Quiet communities remain concentrated in a few cities, while older neighborhoods and parts of central and western China have fewer projects. Some communities also face difficulties maintaining noise-control measures after initial upgrades are completed.
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment plans to incorporate quiet-community development into China's noise pollution prevention and control work for the 2026-2030 period. It has called for regular inspections, dynamic monitoring and follow-up visits to ensure that measures remain effective.
Zheng Shanshan, an official responsible for ecological affairs in Hangzhou's Xiangfu Subdistrict, said the next step should extend noise management from individual communities to larger areas through tools such as sound-environment maps.
"Quiet communities are only a starting point," Zheng said. "We hope to create more quiet spaces across the city."
。    With only a few days remaining for the arrival of Mammootty’s much awaited Kalamkaval, the makers have dropped an unexpected announcement that has instantly set social media buzzing. A newly unveiled poster confirms that Rajisha Vijayan is part of the film, marking the first official word about her involvement. Until now, the team had kept her appearance completely under wraps, making this reveal a genuine pre release surprise.Kalamkaval marks the directorial debut of Jithin K Jose, who has co written the film with Jishnu Sreekumar. The story is set against a moody crime thriller backdrop with Mammootty in the lead, supported by Vinayakan who plays a police officer with considerable impact. The cast also features Dies Irae actor Jibin Gopinath in an important role. Behind the scenes, the film brings together a strong technical team that includes cinematographer Faisal Ali, editor Praveen Prabhakar, composer Mujeeb Majeed and production designer Shajie Naduvil. Produced by Mammootty Kampany and distributed in Kerala by Wayfarer Films, the project has already been cleared with a U/A 16+ certification.The announcement of Rajisha’s presence adds a final stroke of mystery to the film’s promotion. With the poster focusing entirely on her steely presence, the makers seem to be hinting at a character who holds narrative weight within Kalamkaval’s tense world.                                                                 View this post on Instagram          A post shared by Mammootty Kampany (@mammoottykampany)                    A welcome Malayalam return for Rajisha VijayanFor Rajisha, this film marks her return to Malayalam cinema after a brief gap. She was last seen in the 2023 release Amala in a cameo appearance and her most recent full length Malayalam role was in Madhura Manohara Moham in the same year. Since then, she has been active in Tamil cinema, including a key role in Mari Selvaraj’s Bison Kaalamaadan, where she shared the screen with Dhruv Vikram and Anupama Parameswaran. Her performance drew praise, reinforcing her reputation as one of the more dynamic talents among the younger generation of actors.She is also part of Karthi’s Sardar 2 where she is expected to reprise her earlier role from the first film. With this slate, Rajisha is clearly moving between industries with impressive versatility. Her presence in Kalamkaval therefore raises curiosity about the tone and texture of her character and how it fits within the film’s shadowy world.Given the nature of the story, Rajisha’s role could be a pivot in the unfolding mystery or a character who carries emotional depth that enriches the central conflict. The team has not revealed anything about her character apart from the poster, which has only amplified speculation.The film gathers momentum as release day approachesKalamkaval arrives with the promise of a dark investigative thriller set in a border region where tension runs high from the first frame. Promotional material has so far positioned Mammootty and Vinayakan at the centre of a slow burning narrative built on suspicion, conflicting loyalties and hidden motivations. The teasers and stills have created an atmosphere filled with unease, suggesting that the story explores the shadows that lie beneath seemingly ordinary lives.                                                                 View this post on Instagram          A post shared by Mammootty Kampany (@mammoottykampany)                    The addition of Rajisha to the ensemble deepens this intrigue. The makers appear to be saving details of her role for the theatrical experience, a strategy that makes the lead up to the release even more engaging. As the film heads to cinemas on December 5, the audience now has one more reason to anticipate its arrival.Kalamkaval is shaping up to be a compelling thriller with a strong cast, a new directorial voice and a narrative that promises grit and emotional complexity. Rajisha’s surprise entry only heightens the expectation.Also Read: Anupama Parameswaran’s Lockdown Secures New Release Date。

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