Shanghai Charm - A Portrait of Shanghai's Spirit

Author: Wang Hanliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: In Shanghai, known as the "International Metropolis," how can there be such a mood without the flickering neon lights and the vibrant jazz? With the unique perspective of a television journalist, the author meticulously portrays the present and past of Shanghai, as well as its collective and individual inhabitants. This book is a vivid depiction of Shanghai's charm, blending the glamorous tales of the "Ten-Mile Brocade District" in its past with stories from Xifeng Road, Nanjing Road, and the Daxiang World. It also explores the origins of Shanghai's time-honored institutions. Particularly, the author's firsthand experience of the 1960s and 1970s Shanghai life brings the scenes to life, earning praise from contemporaries and fascination from later generations. Many chapters in the book fill gaps in the history of Shanghai's culture, marking it as a pioneering work.
How did this international metropolis transform from a small fishing village into what it is today? Its decline, its glory, its struggles, and its rise—these are all topics of global attention as the World Expo draws closer to Shanghai. To truly understand a city, one must develop a comparative emotional connection with its inhabitants. What are the shared traits, customs, inherent weaknesses, and evolving modernities of the people of Shanghai? With the unique perspective of a television journalist, the author offers a multi-layered and innovative portrayal of the city's present and past, its collective and individual inhabitants. The author's firsthand experience of the 1960s and 1970s Shanghai life brings the scenes to life, earning praise from contemporaries and fascination from later generations. Many chapters in the book fill gaps in the history of Shanghai's culture, marking it as a pioneering work.
While many are eager to showcase foreign landscapes, I have grown increasingly interested in the land beneath my feet. Though born and raised here for over half a century, I may not have truly come to know the great city of Shanghai. I believe many Shanghai residents share this sentiment. Things that are too familiar, too close at hand, are often overlooked because they are within reach, seen every day, yet rarely examined closely. Shanghai is like our mother—we dream in her embrace every day but rarely lift our heads to notice the wrinkles on her forehead or the silver strands in her hair. We only remember her youth, her beauty, and her charm, often showing off her old photographs. We cherish her memories but never inquire about her difficult early years or the burdens she carried in her middle age. Communication with our mother is effortless, yet I still feel shocked at times. I often have to step back and re-examine her familiar yet unfamiliar figure, trying to see her more clearly and truly.
With so many children, each of us views our mother differently, shaped by our personalities, education, experiences, and ages. Each of us holds our own image of her in our hearts. Is she merely a woman who chases fashion and a life of luxury and nightlife? Is she just a noblewoman indulging in the opulence of her past? From her complex background, we know she has seen the world. She has been influenced by Western culture, experienced coexistence and diversity, and endured various hardships, making her seasoned and unflappable. Yet she remains grounded and practical. She knows that ordinary life is ordinary—without daily extravagance, substituting salads for meals, or blowing saxophones and dancing tango every day. The ordinary people of Shanghai still live ordinary lives. This is life, this is existence.
Given her winding and unique life, her profound and rich inner world, and now that she has brushed aside her temples and smoothed her clothes, standing tall once again with her elegant and alluring demeanor, some are amazed by her beauty, others seek to understand her depths, and still others try to decipher her mysteries. Some walk through her streets with a map in hand, hearing (Mandarin) with various accents, even other languages, yet the most common sound remains the Shanghai dialect spoken by locals. This language, rooted in the eastern bank of the Huangpu River and incorporating elements from many dialects, has taken shape in this city and grown deep in the hearts of its 12 million residents. It flows effortlessly from their mouths the moment they speak. Similarly, the character traits, psychological states, and folk customs rooted in Shanghai's historical and cultural background, now an ingrained pattern, will not fade or disappear entirely with the influx of outsiders and foreigners. As long as there are people of Shanghai, their shared traits will remain evident.
Therefore, if one is interested in a city and wishes to understand it deeply, they must cast a keen eye on all its aspects and the diverse people who live there. Only then can they gain a comparative emotional understanding of its surface and its essence.