Memory of Shanghai I: Recall the Memory of Old Shanghai

Shanghai, a global city, with influence in commerce, culture, finance, media, fashion, technology, and transport. It's a prosperous city, meanwhile, it is also a centuried
city with memory. We will seek it in the follow Chapters.

                                                        Chapter One

                           Shanghai：Yesterday & Today

                    --Recall the Memory of Old Shanghai

Shanghai, which means “go to the sea” in Chinese, is a city of 16 million that remembers its hallucinating history. Divided in half by the Huangpu River into Puxi and Pudong, Shanghai’s story is one of millions made and mirages lost. 

Pried open by British guns in the First Opium War, this once sleepy fishing and weaving village gained notoriety as the “Paris of the East” as a colonial city of commerce, vice, money and political intrigue. More recently, Shanghai has benefited the most from China’s economic reforms, rapidly rising as the shining “Pearl of the Orient.”

Shanghai is a mixture city of old and new. Along these years, what are the changes of Shanghai?—Interesting topics as below will show you of Shanghai both in old and new. 

• Old Shanghai Lifestyle & New Shanghai Lifestyle

In Shanghai people’s mind, the impression of Old Shanghai falls to the following words: clubs, nightlife, fashion, pretty girls in Cheongsams, handsome man with hats and a bunch of foreigners.--Which means old Shanghai people lived in a certain kind of lifestyle. Thus, the lifestyle of Old Shanghai is quite different from New Shanghai lifestyle.

Years ago, Shanghai opened it door to the world and from then on it became a dynamic and cosmopolitan city. Its locals work hard and play harder. They have taken the best of Chinese and Western cultures and have blended them together in a way unique to Shanghai. Shanghai is one of a kind, and its friendly occupants are well known for their hospitality, and their ability to make visitors feel quite at home. 

That’s to say, in this cosmopolitan metropolis of Shanghai today, people can experience both the history, and modernity of Shanghai. The atmosphere of old Shanghai’s lifestyle is still very strong and special in its own ways. 

• Old Shanghai People & Shanghai New Generation 

Shanghai is now one of the largest immigrant cities in China, people from other parts of China come to shanghai to seek opportunities here and become the driving force of this fast developing city now. 

Shanghai's Elderly: Old Shanghai People is easy to find as they can speak fluent Shanghai dialect. Early in the morning, Shanghai's elderly can be seen in mass heading to Shanghai's parks and the People's Square to do morning exercises, often with grandchildren in tow. They can be seen in groups practicing tai chi, performing martial arts, doing local dances. In the evening, many middle aged and elderly people can be seen doing western style dance like the tango and cha cha in the parks well into the evening.

Pingtan

Two traditional old Shanghai’s unique ancient art Pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing) and Shanghai Local Opera are popular entertainment among Shanghai elderly, they enjoy watching these performances in the evenings. 

Bar

Young Generation of Shanghai: The younger crowd likes to head out to be seen at Shanghai's numerous bars and nightclubs--it is at night that Shanghai truly shines. Most of Shanghai's ancient and modern buildings are lit up at night, and the scene is quite spectacular.

Shanghai's Working Class: among Shanghai's working class, many sports have become quite popular. Due to the influx of Western businessmen and visitors, Western sports have become vogue, and like in the west, Golf, and Tennis are a necessity for Shanghai businessmen. 

• Old Shanghai Buildings & Modern Architecture 

Shanghai is a paradise for architecture lovers. In Shanghai, you might have the experience like this: walking along the lovely lanes of old Shanghai streets and appreciate traditional Shanghai buildings, while turning around a modern fancy building in front to surprise you. 

Old House in Shanghai

Less than 10 years ago, Shanghai people were lived in typical lane community: full of the noise and smells of families living within whispering distance of each other. Housewives haggled over the price of live chickens at outdoor markets. Men smoked cigarettes and slapped cards down courtyard tables. Neighbors shared taps, toilets and a sense of the working-class struggle.

Pudong, Shanghai

In the intervening years, hundreds of similar communities across the city have been torn down to make way for high rises and malls. People’s connections are apart as these high buildings make great changes to the ways of people getting along. One may even do not know who his or her neighbor is. When in trouble, there is no one can be found to give a hand to in the same building. 

A little sad about this kind of changes, but it’s the cost of modernization.

• Experience Shanghai in Old and New

Walk along the Bund to visit traditional Shanghai buildings; spend half day in Tianzifang to experience real Old Shanghai lifestyle; visit Zhujiajiao, a water town with a 1,700 history, known as Shanghai's Venice.—it’s the way to experience real old Shanghai.

While New Shanghai sights are along the Pudong area--marvel at the three tallest building in Shanghai; have a lovely drink in the bar of Xintiandi; enjoy yourself in the fancy restaurant along the Bund; take a Huangpu river cruise to appreciate the nightlight of Shanghai. 

Yesterday is the gaining period of old Shanghai while today is the shining time for modern Shanghai. Which one do you prefer or the combination of the old and new?—Find your own answer as you take a trip to get close to all the aspects of Shanghai.