Even more impressive, it's specifically done to not burden the largely working-class residents.

“As most of the residents here are working-class, there is pressure on them to bear this cost,”

And look at their level of democracy:

According to a local regulation, Hangzhou housing communities can install elevators if a vote among at least two-thirds of all residents yields 75% approval or higher. In Biguiyuan, over 80% of the residents signed a petition to add elevators to their buildings.