Breathe Shanghai -- 24 Hours of the Refined Gentleman

Author: Jiuye Culture
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: What can one do in 24 hours? Of course, one can do both great and small things—great things concerning the fate of the nation, and small things like daily meals, the concerns of men and women, or simply doing nothing, daydreaming, or walking. Walking also has its own scale—great as traveling in a spacecraft across the atmosphere and entering the annals of the nation's history; small as meeting friends, going for leisure, or even "staying" in one city or place, with only the experience of walking deeply etched into one's personal history. The beauty of walking lies in its interaction. The two parties in this interaction are a sensitive heart and a destination easily perceivable. In today's Chinese destination cities, which one can fully stimulate the senses of a walker while being fully perceived by them? The answer is probably just one: Shanghai. Shanghai is a miracle of China in recent years. This miracle is currently being retold and reconstructed in various ways by various people in various places. It is the darling of fashionable writers, the pride of cultural scholars, and the dream of the common people. But for a walker, what is it? This is precisely what we are concerned about and attempt to answer. Although we dare not compare ourselves to the wise, we are willing to be unashamedly humble. The "we" refers to those who were born in this city or have come here to live. They are no longer young, but definitely not old. Their feelings for this city are neither fiery nor completely calm. They are willing to share this emotion with those who walk through the city, so they have reconstructed their Shanghai in the text—a Shanghai in transition—one that lacks the excessive tenderness of fashionable writers, the profound constructions of cultural scholars, and the superficiality of fast-food culture. Elegant yet unpretentious, noble yet not aloof, warm yet not cloying—this is the impression and expectation we, or rather "they," have of the text and the Shanghai within it. From the beginning, we understood that this effort was not for the majority, but we were not averse to it. We would rather it be criticized for its extremism than praised for its sentimentality. Because true walkers are always unique, and because Shanghai has been perceived as being "1930s" to the point of being beyond saving in too many people's minds. If you want to know the superficial appearance of Shanghai, then this book is certainly not for you, as it seeks to subvert the very notion of Shanghai's superficiality. If you, like us, want to understand a city with a unique personality, then we believe that at least when you are leisurely having afternoon tea somewhere in the city, you will pick it up. And thereafter, whenever you "enter" this city, you will surely find it in your backpack. I wonder if this is a kind of "" attitude. Here, "" might be more of a landmark for individuality. Now, let us return to the original question—24 hours, can one understand Shanghai in 24 hours? It might not be easy, but at least we will show you a 24-hour Shanghai that is always different. Although 24 hours is too short for walking through Shanghai, you will definitely be able to finish this book and gain our impression of Shanghai in just 24 hours. By the way, constructing this impression has cost us far more than one 24-hour period. As we have always combined walking with reading, we are very happy to share this book with those who walk through Shanghai.