The Social Center of Heart Village
The square of Heart Village was originally an iron sheet community center. The villagers often gathered there for chats and various events, including the Lunar New Year Greeting. As the iron sheets corrode over time due to sulfur, leading to water leaks and safety concerns, the center was dismantled and transformed into a square. With villagers hanging their laundry and movies playing, the square continued to serve as a gathering and recreational space for Heart Village.
A Bathroom at Home, a Sense of Belonging
During the 1950s, many Heart Village households did not have their own toilets, let alone bathrooms, mainly because of the lack of space in each house. Most residents considered Heart Village only as a temporary dwelling, so they relied on the hospital's communal bathhouse and the later-constructed public hot spring bathhouse in the village. However, as the families put down roots and their financial conditions improved, they gradually began to expand their houses and built their own toilets and bathrooms.
