Shanghai Charm: A Picture of Shanghai's Spirit

Author: Wang Hanliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: In Shanghai, known as the "International Metropolis," if there's a lack of neon lights and jazz music, will there still be such a mood? With the unique perspective of a television journalist, the author meticulously portrays the present and past of Shanghai, as well as the collective and individual Shanghai people. This book is a vivid depiction of Shanghai's charm, blending the glamorous tales of the "Ten-Mile Brocade District" in the past with stories from Xifeng Road, Nanjing Road, and the Grand World. It also explores the origins of Shanghai's old landmarks, especially the urban life of Shanghai people in the 1960s and 1970s. The author, having lived through those times, writes with vivid detail and depth, earning praise from contemporaries and broadening the horizons of 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 of Shanghai develop from a small fishing village step by step? Its dimness, its brilliance, its humiliation, and its rise—these are all topics of global attention as the World Expo draws closer to Shanghai. To deeply understand a city, one must have a relatively empathetic understanding of its inhabitants. What are the shared traits, customs, inherent weaknesses, and evolving new faces of the Shanghai people? With the unique perspective of a television journalist, the author offers a multi-layered and innovative portrayal of Shanghai's present and past, as well as its collective and individual inhabitants. Especially in the social life of the 1960s and 1970s, the author, having lived through those times, writes with vivid detail, earning admiration from contemporaries and broadening the horizons of 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 introduce 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 Shanghai. I believe many Shanghai people share this sentiment. Things that are too familiar, too close at hand, are often overlooked because they are within reach, seen every day without much thoughtful examination. Shanghai is like our mother—we nestle in her embrace, dreaming every day, yet rarely lift our heads to notice the wrinkles on her forehead or the silver threads in her black hair. We only remember her youthful beauty and charm, often showing off her old photographs. We reminisce endlessly but never inquire about her difficult early life or the burdens she carried in her middle years.
Communication with our mother is effortless and free of barriers, yet I still feel shocked at times. I often have to step back and re-examine her familiar yet unfamiliar figure and face, so I can see her more clearly and truly. With many children, each with different personalities, educations, experiences, and ages, their perspectives on their mother will inevitably vary, as will their feelings. Each person sees their own mother in their eyes. Is she merely a woman obsessed with trendy and luxurious lifestyles? Is she just a lady indulging in the extravagance and elegance of past mansions? From her complex background, we know she has seen the world. She has been shaped by Western influences and has experienced cohabitation of Chinese and foreigners in a diverse society. She has endured various hardships, making her seasoned and unflappable, never overreacting or showing petty behavior. Yet she is also down-to-earth and practical. She knows that ordinary life is ordinary—there won’t be daily glamour, eating salads for meals, or nightly saxophone performances and tango dances. Ordinary families still lead ordinary lives. That is life, that is existence.
Given her winding and unique life, her profound and rich inner world, and now that she has brushed aside her temples and brushed off her clothes, standing tall with her elegant and charming demeanor restored, some are amazed by her beauty, some seek to understand her depths, and others try to decipher her mysteries. Some walk through her streets with a map in hand, hearing (Mandarin) with various accents, even other languages, but what they hear most often is the familiar Shanghai dialect, "" (A-la xianhua). This language, originating on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River and incorporating elements of many dialects, has taken root in this city and its over 10 million residents. It flows effortlessly from their mouths as soon as they speak. Similarly, the character traits, psychological states, and folk customs rooted in Shanghai’s historical and cultural background, now an entrenched pattern, will not gradually fade or disappear entirely with the influx of outsiders and foreigners. As long as there are Shanghai people, 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 will they gain a more empathetic understanding of its surface and its essence.