Shanghai Journal – Part 2
Shanghai has its origins as an old fishing town on the banks of the Huangpu River. In the 19th century, its location made it an optimal site for a hub of trade and soon it was to grow spectacularly. So much so that everyone wanted a piece of it. The Brits, Americans, French, Japanese and Chinese all intermingled in Shanghai, strangely enough, never becoming any one country’s colony, but an area where trade simply flourished.
A multicultural city in the early 20th century, the city hosted nationalities from all over the world, from White Russians to Iraqi Jews. Influenced by many, it boasted glamour in the form of architecture (most famously on its riverfront, the Bund) yet accommodated the poorer in its arms in the various Shikumen houses.
It was originally because of a play I was asked to write a number of years ago that I came to Shanghai to explore the history. A while ago, I had been doing a lot of research into Shanghai in the 1930s, much regarded as the golden age of the city. In a city with no limits, it was full of glamour and vice, a rock-and-roll care-free culture, years before rock-and-roll itself came about. But a city in which class society still existed and that is exuded all around the city.
Much of my intrigue has been down to books written about the era, such as Harriet Sergeant’s Shanghai and Beyond The Neon Lights by Hanchao Lu. Vivid desciptions of a decandent, but lost city inspired the imagination. This was an opportunity to observe.
Evidence of Shanghai’s past still exists today. In the old Chinese city, the old buildings still exist, although they won’t be for much longer longer. Old shikumen houses still exist if you look hard. These were two or three storey houses hidden in alleyways in which Chinese residents would live. Originally designed for one family, the rapid growth in population in the city led to multiple families living in one house, each taking one room. Basic amenities don’t exist in houses of the old city although overhead power lines and telephone cables now provide some; communal toilets and street water taps provide some others.
It was quite eye opening to see what the old city looked like. It’s a buzzing place, and though many things must have changed here in the last 70 years, much of it will still be the same. Sadly it won’t last, though, as redevelopment projects mean that the old city houses will be torn down and the residents relocated. Whilst this may cause furore amongst many, there isn’t much choice in my opinion. Many houses are falling apart, some quite dangerously, with many already derelict. Repairing these would simply not make sense.
There is some saving grace though. One recent project in Shanghai has been the creation of the Xintiandi district in Shanghai. Although not completely representative of the old city, the area has some restored old buildings, now accommodating cafes, shops and bars. They strengthened the buildings by injecting concrete into the brick walls, an innovative idea to give the buildings some strength. And it seems to have worked. Whilst the are no longer has the character of the old city, there is much to see, including a shikumen open house which shows what the old houses were all about.
The Influence of the West
If you go around Shanghai, you will no doubt see the western influences all around you. The Bund is a prime example. Many of the old buildings that stand over the Huangpu river used to be the mighty banks that traded in the East, a few of which, such as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (now HSBC), still exist today. The Cathay Hotel, now named the Peace Hotel after the visit of Nixon in the 1970s, was a setting for many of Shanghai’s most prestigious parties in the 1930s. Its rags-to-riches owner, Sir Victor Sassoon, was well known for throwing them, and it was the place to be seen. Entering the hotel, the glamour of the place doesn’t need to be imagined. The lobby is as representative as it was in the early 20th century. The roof of the hotel has its amazing views particularly from a building on top that appears to be Sassoon’s infamous penthouse.
Nanjing Road was the shopping district of the old city and it still is today. The city buzzes in this now pedestrianised street. Beneath the hoardings and the signs that hang on the outside of the shops, one case still make out which ones are the old western buildings. They may be hidden away, but they underpin the city’s heritage.
People’s Square has a long history but only lightly touched upon in school textbooks in Shanghai, I’m told. It was once the location of the Shanghai racetrack. On the western side is a building with a clock tower, affectionately called “Big Bertie” by the British and used to house the old Shanghai Race Club. Much of the evidence of the club’s history is wiped out now. In fact, even looking at the building, one wouldn’t necessarily know that it used to be a race club. Today it houses the Shanghai Art Gallery, having once been a library in the past.
It felt amazing to discover all these things, all the history of a city that is so new. After all, Shanghai today is a city of high rising tower blocks. But old Shanghai hasn’t been overwhelmed. It’s history still pokes out everywhere. It’s all the more amazing considering its place in the more recent history of China. Harriet Sergeant’s description of the The Cathay Hotel is very interesting in its description of its golden age in the 1930s. But one point she makes is all the more poignant. In the Cultural Revolution, the Red Guards seized the Cathay Hotel (and all the buildings in the Bund) and even converted the hotel lobby into a bike shop! Which begs the question. How has so much history managed to survive, given the harshness of an period that was the Cultural Revolution. We may never know the answer, but we can all celebrate anf enjoy the fact that it has.
Today Shanghai isn’t ashamed to boast about its glory days. Plaques are everywhere outside old buildings that tell the history and architecture of those buildings. Many places have been restored to their former glories and look proud in the city. It is an amazing city with an amazing history. There’s always more to explore…
More:
Shanghai Journal: Part 1 | 2 | 3
Tagged: Places