Parellada, 19, on his first trip to China, expressed his appreciation for having the opportunity to walk around a residential compound with such historical significance.
"I enjoy the natural beauty in this apartment complex with greenery and a curved waterway. It's a combination of both international and Chinese aesthetics," said Parellada, who attends university in Madrid.
"Shanghai is such an international city. Before I embarked on the trip, I wasn't sure how life was going to be for me when watching documentaries and videos about the city on YouTube. But I've already gotten used to it," he said.
Zhang, from Caoyang Xincun subdistrict, said even back in the early years expat visitors showed the same enthusiasm as they do today.
"It (the community) is a window to demonstrate the achievements of socialist construction, and how the real life of workers in Shanghai was getting on," she said.
