Chronicle of a modern metropolis in Shanghai

Author: Xiong Yuezhi, edited by Zhou Wu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: In the world of cities, Shanghai has a distinct personality. She shares similarities with cities like London, Paris, and New York in terms of trade functions, entertainment functions, and immigrant populations; she also shares similarities with cities like Calcutta, Mumbai, and Hong Kong in terms of Western influence, yet she is quite different. Unlike London and Paris, she did not evolve from a traditional central city into a modern metropolis. Unlike New York and Los Angeles, she was not formed as an immigrant city under complete sovereignty. She also differs from Calcutta, Mumbai, and Hong Kong, as she was not entirely developed from barren land under the control of colonialists. The modern path of Shanghai is unique. After the reform and opening-up, Shanghai's development model was also unique. The development and opening-up of Pudong, with both Pudong and Puxi taking off together, major adjustments in the economic structure, production layout, industrial structure, urban landscape, large-scale relocation of millions of residents, millions of workers undergoing job transitions, and massive population mobility—all were unprecedented and well-organized. There are already abundant works on Shanghai's city, including extensive volumes like A Comprehensive History of Shanghai and A Comprehensive Gazetteer of Shanghai, as well as light-hearted anecdotes and legends, practical manuals and guides, and beautifully printed picture books, photo albums, postcards, and monthly calendars. However, as scholars who have long engaged in the study of Shanghai's history, from the perspective of social needs and academic research, we feel that Shanghai still needs an informative reading material that is factually accurate, concisely written, and appropriately sized, integrating scientific rigor, readability, and practicality. It can serve as a historical reference, a textbook, or a general knowledge source.