Urban Folk Customs of Shanghai

Author: Cai Fengming / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-06-01
Features: As private modes of transportation such as carriages and rickshaws gradually entered the lives of Shanghai citizens in the modern era, becoming the primary means of daily social mobility, at the same time, vehicles like trams and buses, which represented the characteristics of modern industrial civilization and had distinct social significance, also began to enter the Shanghai metropolis and gradually became the main means of transportation for the vast majority of Shanghai citizens. On March 5, 1908, trams began operating in the British concession of Shanghai. After 1928, Shanghai also saw a surge in the popularity of buses. These buses, designed to meet the needs of the masses and characterized by strong mass appeal, were warmly welcomed by the people upon their arrival in the Shanghai metropolis. By the 1930s, a significant number of Shanghai citizens were already using trams and buses for daily errands and commuting. According to records, between 1924 and 1934, public buses in Shanghai’s concessions operated 17 routes, carrying 37 million passengers. Due to the large population and busy traffic, while trams and buses had gradually become part of the daily lives of modern Shanghai residents, they still fell far short of meeting the actual transportation needs of the citizens. The result was that trams and buses in Shanghai were often extremely crowded, with people packed tightly together, shoulder to shoulder, leaving little room to stand. Consequently, various customs arising from the experience of crowded commuting, such as the "car toss" and "bus fight" customs, began to emerge in large numbers. Some articles vividly described this helpless commuting culture in modern Shanghai: "The temperature inside a bus is always eighty degrees, a constant sauna without water heaters, but instead using the free 'human body heating method.' With dozens of people crammed together, the heat is suffocating. For two or three hours, fresh air is forced through vents to conserve carbon dioxide. The ticket seller is the star, each one a Shaw-like genius. You struggle to breathe, while he flatters you to the point of laughter. 'Don’t damage your pretty clothes,' 'Cram in, it’s warm inside,' 'Rubber cars don’t matter.' If you’re not careful, your elbow might touch a neighbor, and you’ll be called a pig. 'Fear the squeeze, take a three-wheeled car,' a voice that knows you can’t afford it either. Neighbors are arguing fiercely, while fashionable girls, like (socialites), shout over the roar of the motor, trying to scare away weak passengers and take seats." Due to the extreme crowding, pickpocketing was also a common occurrence in old Shanghai. Yu Muxia wrote in "Shanghai Snippets": "When passengers are crowded on trams and buses, the ticket seller sometimes shouts, 'Be careful!' This phrase, though not obvious, actually means reminding passengers to watch out for pickpockets. When crowds are dense, pickpockets take advantage of the chaos to perform their quick thefts, making it easy for passengers to lose money, watches, and other valuables without realizing it. By the time they notice, the pickpockets are long gone. It is said that pickpockets on buses also operate in shifts, each guarding their territory without chaos." In Shanghai, it was also common to encounter troublemakers, known as (loiterers), on trams. A common trick was to take a passenger’s hat, then toss it around among a group of. This practice was called "hat toss." In modern Shanghai, there were also some transportation methods that were not yet widespread but had strong modern and open characteristics, such as private cars, bicycles, and motorcycles. Those who traveled in private cars were mostly business tycoons, government officials, and social elites in Shanghai. Many wealthy young men also enjoyed cruising in cars for fun. Hu Pu’an wrote in "Customs of China": "Shanghai now takes pride in car travel. On Sundays, many young men and women travel together in cars, speeding along Nanjing Road, Jing’an Temple Road, and Fuzhou Road." Riding bicycles had been introduced from the West since the early days. After Shanghai was opened to the outside world, the custom of riding bicycles gradually spread and was quickly adopted by young people who loved to show off. A Shanghai folk poem described the scene: "Flirtatious young men dress in style, cycling by the roadside. Hats on their heads, smoking, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, admiring pretty girls." However, these records also show that private cars and bicycles were not yet common among ordinary citizens in modern Shanghai. They were often used by the wealthy to display status or by young men to seek attention. Today, transportation in Shanghai has reached a peak of prosperity. This is reflected not only in the great development of transportation tools in modern Shanghai but also in the expansion of the groups using them. Now, when working, visiting friends, or traveling, Shanghai residents can choose from a variety of means of transportation, such as trams, buses, motorcycles, two-wheelers, subways, ferries, private cars, and taxis. The rapid development of taxis has brought new vitality to the daily lives of modern Shanghai people. By the late 1990s, there were hundreds of thousands of taxis crisscrossing the streets of Shanghai. Citizens could simply wave their hands, and a taxi would stop right in front of them, quickly taking them to their destination. Among modern Shanghai’s transportation habits, cycling is particularly noteworthy. Although not many people rode bicycles in Shanghai in the early 20th century, the practice became wildly popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Every morning and evening, the streets were filled with vast armies of cyclists, moving in orderly rows, a scene of grandeur unmatched in any other country. In addition to commuting, bicycles also served many other functions in the lives of modern Shanghai residents, such as grocery shopping, carrying luggage, visiting friends, and traveling. For modern Shanghai people, bicycles have become an indispensable means of transportation and a loyal companion. Compared to the past, another important feature of modern Shanghai’s transportation customs is their widespread popularity. In the modern era, although transportation was already quite developed, the practice of commuting had only begun to gain traction among the wealthier classes in Shanghai. However, overall, transportation customs in Shanghai had not yet reached a widespread level. Due to their lower living standards, many middle and lower-class citizens could not afford the higher costs of transportation. Therefore, commuting was not yet a common practice among Shanghai residents during the modern era. In modern times, with the general improvement of living standards and increased spending power, the practice of commuting has become more prevalent. Not only high-ranking officials, company employees, and school teachers, but also ordinary workers, service staff, and self-employed individuals often commute by car. Even some children who rely on their parents for financial support often take taxis. Although this behavior is not advisable, it does illustrate the widespread nature of commuting among modern Shanghai residents. The flourishing of transportation customs is closely related to Shanghai’s high level of material civilization and well-developed transportation facilities, as well as the lifestyles and values of its citizens. In rural societies, people have long lived in relatively narrow social environments, working and trading within their own villages or counties. Some have never even left their own village. Therefore, transportation methods hold little significance for them. However, the lives of Shanghai residents are much broader, with their work, daily activities, entertainment, and social interactions often spanning long distances. This makes commuting a frequent and common practice for them. The prosperity of transportation customs in Shanghai is also linked to the fast-paced, ever-changing lifestyle of its residents and their emphasis on efficiency and time management. Due to the characteristics of industrial production and fierce social competition, the pace of life in Shanghai is much faster and more hectic than in rural areas. The turbulent, fast-paced, and ever-changing environment has made Shanghai residents highly value work efficiency and time consciousness. As a result, their demands for transportation are much higher than those of rural residents. They are willing to spend more on faster trams or buses rather than waste time walking, missing out on valuable opportunities. This is another important reason why the proportion of commuters in Shanghai is much higher than in rural areas. However, as a modern urban group that rose rapidly after the modern era and had a strong sense of modernity and anti-traditionalism, Shanghai residents broke free from the constraints of traditional Chinese wedding customs early on, choosing instead a path of individual freedom and autonomous marriage. Due to the developed commercial economy and higher level of civilization in urban societies, as well as Shanghai’s unique conditions in absorbing Western culture, the people of Shanghai have stronger demands for individual liberation and freedom and democracy in their thoughts and values, as well as a greater desire for independence and self-selection in marriage. They no longer wanted to follow the old traditions of arranged marriages, with parents’ orders, matchmakers, flower carriages, and wedding nights. They sought modern, free, and democratic marriage models, hoping their marriages would reflect more individuality and romance. Under such marital concepts and psychological needs, various wedding customs completely different from the old traditions emerged in Shanghai. The civilized wedding, which originated in modern Shanghai, is a representative form of such wedding models. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, influenced by free and democratic thoughts and Western cultural customs, some citizens of Shanghai began to practice the new "civilized wedding." This form of wedding largely excluded the emphasis on bloodline and feudal ethics in traditional Chinese weddings, incorporating instead a modern, open, and Western-style atmosphere. Differences between civilized weddings and traditional weddings were evident in aspects such as mate selection, wedding procedures, personnel organization, and equipment. For example, according to traditional customs, matchmaking and parental approval were necessary for marriage, otherwise it was considered immoral. However, in modern Shanghai, young men and women began to favor free choice and love. They "chose partners freely, without matchmakers, kept their plans secret from parents, and discarded the three tea and six gifts." Many Shanghai couples followed a simpler and more modern engagement ritual, no longer adhering to the traditional procedures of calculating birth dates, sending invitations, or giving betrothal gifts. Instead, they exchanged rings, took wedding photos, and placed advertisements in newspapers. The wedding ceremony was the most important part of the wedding ritual. After agreeing on a wedding date, many Shanghai couples used their homes or public halls as the venue, inviting respected or senior individuals as witnesses and officiants. After the ceremony began, the witness read the marriage certificate, the newlyweds bowed, and relatives and friends offered congratulations. Then, music played, and a choir sang songs of good wishes for the newlyweds. Clearly, this relaxed and free wedding ceremony, with its Western-style atmosphere, was very different from the strict,-bound weddings of feudal China. The traditional marriage practices widely practiced in feudal China were a product of the feudal patriarchal system. Their purpose was primarily to continue the family line and expand the clan, so the rituals associated with these marriages were particularly elaborate and strict. In contrast, the civilized weddings that first became popular in Shanghai reflected the free, democratic, and equal ideals that China’s pioneers had long championed. They symbolized the awakening of individual consciousness and the formation of independent personalities. Therefore, the rituals associated with such weddings were often filled with a sense of relaxation, freedom, and joy. Civilized weddings also differed from traditional weddings in aspects such as the attire of the newlyweds, the choice of the wedding venue, the equipment used, and the personnel responsible for the ceremony. For example, according to traditional customs, the bride usually wore a phoenix crown and phoenix robe, with a red veil covering her head. The groom wore traditional Chinese attire, such as a long gown and horse collar. However, in modern Shanghai’s civilized weddings, these traditional forms were completely abandoned. The bride wore a white dress with a red shawl, while the groom wore a suit and tie. Also, according to traditional customs, wedding activities and banquets were usually held at home. However, many couples following the civilized wedding customs rented high-end hotels or restaurants for their wedding banquets, and the ceremonies were held in grand ballrooms within these hotels. In traditional Chinese weddings, flower carriages were used to welcome the bride. However, some young couples in modern Shanghai preferred to travel in private cars. The "Shanghai Daily" during the Republic of China era described these civilized weddings in detail: "With an Eastern hairstyle, Western-style clothes, and Western-style shoes, everything from phoenix crowns and phoenix robes to embroidered dresses, red shoes, and green socks was discarded."