Breathe Shanghai: 24 Hours of the Refined Bohemian

Author: Jiuye Culture
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
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 degrees of magnitude—great as traveling in spacecraft across the atmosphere and etching "walking" into the annals of the nation; small as visiting friends, leisurely strolls, or even "stagnating" in one city, deeply carving the experience of walking into one's own history. The essence of walking lies in interaction. The two parties involved 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 likely 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 fashion 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. While we dare not compare ourselves to the wise, we are willing to disregard our modesty. "We" refer to those who were born in this city or have come here to live. They are no longer young but far from old. Their feelings for this city are neither fiery nor completely calm. They are willing to share this sentiment with those who walk through the city, so they have reconstructed their Shanghai in the text—a transitional Shanghai—lacking the excessive tenderness of fashion 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 hopelessly "1930s" in the eyes of too many. 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 distinct personality, then we believe that at least when you are leisurely sipping afternoon tea somewhere in the city, you will pick up this book. And thereafter, whenever you "enter" this city, you will surely find it in your backpack. Is this not a kind of "" attitude? Here, "" may 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 may not be easy, but at least we will show you a 24-hour Shanghai that is always different. Although 24 hours may be too short for walking through Shanghai, you will certainly finish this book in 24 hours and gain our impressions of Shanghai. By the way, constructing these impressions has cost us far more than one 24-hour period. Since we have always combined walking with reading, we are very happy to share this book with those who walk through Shanghai.