A carpenter in Shanghai has applied his skills to repairing some of the city’s crumbling historical buildings. Ma Jiale, 57, said preserving these structures is essential to retain some connection with the city’s past.<br />Many examples of Shanghai’s iconic old architecture have been were neglected in recent decades, in part because of China’s ruling Communist Party had mounted political campaigns to denounce “feudalism”.<br />While the government has more recently been putting resources into recovering some of the damaged structures, Ma said those efforts are far from enough.<br />Another problem is a shortage of workers, since many young people are turned away by the relatively low pay. Ma works five days a week to earn about 5,000 yuan (US$750) a month – half the average salary in Shanghai. As he nears retirement, Ma says he still can not find an apprentice ready to take up his skills.<br />
