Living in the former home of one of Shanghai's top celebrities has more than a few downsides - home owners can't make major changes to their protected houses, and fans often come for a visit and tour.

People walk past the former residence of 1930s film star Ruan Lingyu yesterday. The city plans to set up more plaques to mark the former homes of celebrities.

Some people are worried the situation will become even worse now as the city is hanging bronze signs outside the former homes of many top celebrities from the past.

The Jing'an District Culture and History Bureau recently hung a bronze plaque outside a three-story Spanish style building on Xinzha Road that was once the home of Ruan Lingyu, a famous film star in the 1930s who committed suicide in 1935.

Currently three families live in the building.

Gu Guozhu lives on the first floor of the building.

"To entitle my house as a culture heritage site is a good thing. I'm proud to live in it," she said in a voice mingled with hope and fear.

"I didn't know who Ruan was before," said Gu. "But in recent years, many of Ruan's fans came to my house and wanted to enter to have a look."

Gradually, through talking with them, Gu learned more about Ruan and even made friends with some of her fans.

Gu is afraid, however, that the new plaque will attract even more visitors to her home.
"I don't have the energy to entertain them one by one."

Yang Jiguang, director of the Jing'an District Culture and History Bureau, said Gu shouldn't worry.

"But after we hung the first sign outside the former home of (famous writer) Zhang Ailing in April this year, residents living in it never complained that they were bothered," said Yang.

Ruan's former home was the sixth in Jing'an to receive a plaque this year. Yang says the district plans to set up 10 more plaques within the next year.

(Shanghai Daily December 14, 2005)