In downtown Changsha, the capital of Hunan, the renovation of an old oil warehouse complex was completed and opened to the public in July last year. Dating back to the 1930s, the warehouse's 12 massive steel tanks once stored cooking oil for the city — a place etched in the memory of generations who brought their own bottles to buy oil.

After renovation, the tanks were reinforced but retained their original appearance. Red bricks stamped with faded characters from demolished old buildings were preserved and reused. Rather than replicating successful models from other cities, the complex's operating team sought to recreate scenes of the "oil-buying culture" that older residents remember — a unique collective memory of the city.

"We held onto the unique feeling of the place — the warmth of everyday life in old Changsha," said Xiao Lei from the team.

In the newly opened complex named Tank Changsha, visitors strolling through shops and cafes built in the former warehouse buildings sometimes notice something unexpected.

"Occasionally, you can still catch a faint hint of oil in the air — decades of memory seeped into the bricks, refusing to fade," a visitor wrote on social media.

He Chun and Yang Xiaonan contributed to this story.

limuyun@chinadaily.com.cn