Largest city in the world (postcard)

Author: Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: The area of Lao Cheng Xiang is called "Cheng Huang Miao" by Shanghai people. When they go there for fun, they say, "Go to Cheng Huang Miao." In reality, Cheng Huang Miao is only a tiny place. Within Lao Cheng Xiang, there is the Ming Dynasty garden "Yu Yuan" and tea houses, as well as some old streets that were once enclosed by a city wall. This old part of Shanghai, located in the southeastern part of the city, covers only about seven square kilometers. Compared to the ancient cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou, Lao Cheng Xiang is not that old—its seven hundred years of history can be summarized in a few words: Shanghai was established as a town during the Southern Song Dynasty, and a city wall was built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty. By the Qing Dynasty, it was already renowned as "the hub of rivers and seas, the metropolis of the southeast." Within the nine-li ring city, merchants and trading houses from all over the country gathered. This birthplace of old Shanghai is also locally called "Nan City," as the foreign concessions outside the city wall were known as "Bei City" back then. In those days, everyone wanted to achieve success in the "Ten-Mile Marketplace," leaving the old Lao Cheng Xiang within the city walls neglected—only people leaving, no one coming in—so that this piece of Jiangnan charm could be preserved for Shanghai. Although the city wall has long been demolished, a few old streets and Yu Yuan remain as signature attractions. Yu Yuan, with its Ming and Qing Dynasty style, features pavilions, terraces, and towers meticulously constructed, once considered one of Shanghai's most flourishing gardens. At the center of Lao Cheng Xiang, Cheng Huang Miao enshrines the Huating City God and retains its Ming Dynasty layout. The bustling old street in front of it is still thriving. This place has always been a hub for small goods; the pastries like pear-gum candy, chicken and duck blood soup, Guangdong-style squid, wine-brined snails, and wheat gluten sheets left behind have all become famous specialties of Lao Cheng Xiang.
As for the temples and monasteries in Lao Cheng Xiang, there are more than one: the Baiyun Temple for Taoism, the Chenxiang Pavilion and Cixiu An for Buddhism, the Xiaotao Garden and Fuyou Road mosques for Islam, the Qingxin Hall for Christianity, the Dongjiadu Catholic Church, and the Confucian Wenmiao.
The famous street, Fangbin Road, likely used to be a river—there were many rivers here in ancient times, all relying on boat transport. Later, they were gradually turned into roads, and recently, it has been renovated and renamed "Shanghai Old Street." Ancient-style two-story buildings have been built along the road, aiming to showcase fragments of Shanghai's storied history. The cluttered small stalls have been moved into multi-story buildings, with shiny facades and still thriving businesses. The market at the intersection of Luxiangyuan Road and Dajing Road might be one of the places in Shanghai with the most local flavor. If you take the time to explore, you can uncover many tales of big Shanghai in the small alleys and streets of Lao Cheng Xiang. During holidays, Lao Cheng Xiang is always crowded with people—both outsiders and locals. The old houses with flying eaves are filled with chatter, and everywhere is adorned with bright purple, red, gold, yellow, and green—this is the lively, vibrant "local atmosphere" that locals adore. Lao Cheng Xiang is now the Chinese side of Shanghai.