Pride of Place: Stories Behind Historic Shanghai Landmarks(《上海印记:地标中的城市记忆》)是上海地情普及系列丛书(Shanghai Local History Series)之一,由上海通志馆(Shanghai Local Chronicles Library)和上海日报(Shanghai Daily)共同策划、主编。内容主要摘编翻译自上海通志馆主编的“上海地情普及系列丛书”第二辑,通过聚焦人民广场、徐家汇、陆家嘴、新天地、静安寺等上海热门“打卡地”,介绍其中地标性建筑的前世今生,知名历史人物的海派足迹,以及城市发展变迁过程中的精彩故事,展现这些繁华商圈背后的文化底蕴和历史魅力,帮助外籍人士认识上海、了解上海、爱上上海。
Based on the corresponding Chinese version book series, this book delves into the history of People’s Square, Jing’an Temple, Xujiahui, Lujia最 and Xintiandi -- five top trending destinations in Shanghai. This book will take you on a journey through some of the hidden stories of the city’s iconic landmarks, and accounts of famous personalities who walked the same paths. A handy guidebook to Shanghai’s rich history and rapid development, this book also serves as a gateway to cultural understanding and appreciation for international travelers and expats living and working in the metropolis.
關於作者:
上海通志馆 Shanghai Local Chronicles Library
上海通志馆是收藏研究、开发利用上海史志资源,宣传展示上海地情的公共文化服务机构。前身为1932年成立的上海市通志馆,是全国最早的方志馆之一。主要职能包括:地方文献收藏展示和查阅服务、地情文化普及推广和宣传教育,以及史志资源开发利用和学术研究等。
Shanghai Local Chronicles Library is a public cultural institution dedicated to collecting, researching, developing and utilizing Shanghai’s chronicles, almanacs and other historical materials. With a history that dates back to 1932, it is one of the earliest libraries specializing in chronicles in China. Its missions include providing access to local history books, promoting local history education, and facilitating academic research on regional culture and history.
上海日报 Shanghai Daily
由上海报业集团主管主办的英文上海日报创办于1999年10月1日,是中国内地第一份地方性彩色英文日报,也是华东地区成立时间最长的外宣媒体。上海日报为在上海和长三角地区定居、工作、留学、旅游的外籍人士提供最及时的英文资讯,最权威的政策解读,最贴心的生活服务,是海外受众读懂上海、读深中国的一个重要窗口。
Launched on October 1, 1999, Shanghai Daily is the first full-color English-language daily newspaper on the Chinese mainland and a member of the Shanghai United Media Group. Shanghai Daily is an indispensable source of information for English readers who want to explore and understand Shanghai and China, providing news, insights and information about living, working, studying or visiting Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region.
目錄:
目录
Preface 1
People’s Square
People’s Square and People’s Park:
The Pulsating Heart of the City 3
How China’s Shopping Mecca Evolved
from a Shanghai Racecourse 10
Magic of Reinvention: A Muddy Flat
Evolves into an Icon of Modern History 15
Grand Theater: An Artifact from the
Golden Age of Cinema 20
Shanghai’s First Skyscraper Symbolizes the
City’s Rich Architectural Heritage 26
Music to the Ears: The Theater that Became
‘Hallowed Ground’ of Opera 32
Shanghai Museum: A Jewel of Cultural and
Historical Splendor 37
The Theater Whose Name Says It All: Grand
in Design, Grand in Reputation 42
Window to the City: The Role of Urban
Planning in Molding Modern Shanghai 47
Journey to the Past: The Compelling Narrative
of Shanghai History Museum 52
Xujiahui
From a Scholar’s Legacy, East-Meets-West
Culture Creates a Unique Domain 59
The Legacy of an Orphanage in Modern
Education and Skilled Crafts 65
Enlightened Education of Orphans
Transformed China Arts and Craftsmanship 70
Gothic Cathedral Stands as a Testament to
Community Spirit and Architectural Pride 76
Starting from a Flood Crisis, Modern
Education in Shanghai was Born 82
A Historical Library Whose Past Continues
to Define Its Modern Presence 87
The Pioneer of Modern Chinese Meteorology,
Astronomy and Seismology 92
Shanghai Film Museum Projects the Golden
Past of China’s Silver Screen 98
Fascinating Anecdotes of Chinese Music are
Preserved in the ‘Little Red Building’ 104
Thanks to Tintin Comics, a Chinese Sculptor
Became a European Sensation 109
Jing’an Temple
Jing’an Temple Remains a Treasure in the
District that Bears Its Name 117
Nanjing Road W. is Famous, but How did
this Iconic Street Come to Pass 122
Three Splendid Gardens that Passed into
History Leave a Cultural Legacy 126
Fairy-Tale Villa of a Swedish Shipping
Magnate Retains Iconic Status 132
Initially a Tribute to Sino-Soviet Ties,
Exhibition Center Retains Prominence 137
A Famous Family, a Famous Garden now
Preserved for Posterity 142
Family Mansion Turned Children’s Palace
Records City’s Rich History 147
‘Premier Music Venue of the Far East’
Once Oozed Glamor and Notoriety 153
Majestic Theater Lives up to Its Name
Through Many Transformations 158
The Culinary Roots of the Jing’an Temple
Area are Deep and Delectable 163
Xintiandi
Shikumen: A Lasting Symbol of Shanghai’s
Cultural Heritage 171
Huaihai Road: Shanghai’s Epitome of
Taste and Style, History and Culture 177
Quintessential Shikumen Buildings Woven
into the Fabric of Modern Chinese History 181
Where Shanghai’s Elite Once Hobnobbed,
Memories of a Glamorous Past Persist 187
Political and Business Luminaries Once Hung
Their Hats on a Road Bearing Their Legacy 193
Take a Stroll Along the Street with Many
Famous Names 197
Iconic Stone-Gate Architectural Heritage
Integrated with Modern Embellishment 202
How Xintiandi, with a Historic Twist, Set a
New Standard for Mall Development 207
Downtown Park Highlights Role of Green
Oases in Urban Redevelopment Planning 211
Sinan Road: A Tranquil Historical Path of
People Prominent in Shanghai’s History 215
Lujia最
The Financial Epicenter that Owes Its
Pedigree to a Famous Ancient Scholar 223
The Century-Old Mansion of a Shipping
Magnate Stands as a Tribute to Patriotism 229
Shipyards in the 19th Century Anchored
the Future of Pudong Modernization 233
Patriotism Beyond the ABCs: A School that
Turned Idealism into Action 238
Underground ‘Steel Veins’ Transformed
Pudong’s Development Above Them 243
Global Competition: How the Design of
Shanghai’s Financial District Evolved 248
The Dramatic Transformation of Paddy
Fields into the ‘Wall Street of China’ 253
‘Four Giants’: Architectural Feats that
Created Shanghai’s Famous Skyline 258
The ‘Oriental Champs-élysées’ Blends
French Esthetics with Chinese Culture 264
The Shopping Mall that Broke Precedent and
Set a New Standard of Retailing 269
Afterword 274
內容試閱:
Preface
History is both the best textbook and humanity’s greatest teacher. General Secretary Xi Jinping once stressed: “Valuing, studying, and learning from history can offer valuable wisdom to help humanity better understand the past, grasp the present, and shape the future.”
Compiling local chronicles has long been a cherished cultural tradition of the Chinese nation. These chronicles document the natural, political, economic, cultural, and social history and current state of administrative regions, serving as the most comprehensive and systematic historical records of Chinese civilization spanning thousands of years. In recent years, while undertaking the immense task of compiling the second round of Shanghai’s local chronicles, the Shanghai Local Chronicles Office has actively explored various ways to fulfill the functions of preserving history, educating the public, and facilitating policymaking, promoting the city’s history, telling Shanghai’s stories, and showcasing the city’s brilliance.
Since 2016, Shanghai Local Chronicles Office and its affiliated Shanghai Local Chronicles Library have launched the “Six Thousand Years of Shanghai” Series project for the general public. In 2018, the three-volume “Six Thousand Years of Shanghai” was released. Building on this momentum, five additional titles followed in 2019: “Shanghai Origins: How a City of Rich Variety Arises,” “Huangpu River in the Turn of the Tide,” “Suzhou Creek in the Waves of History,” “Old City Where East Meets West,” and “Old Towns: Discovering Jiangnan Culture in Shanghai.” In 2020, another five volumes were introduced: “Xintiandi: A Perfect Blend of Tradition and Modernity,” “Jing’an Temple: Ancient Rhymes in the New Era,” “People’s Square: The Zero Point of Shanghai,” “Xujiahui: An Encounter Between East and West,” and “Lujia最: A Brilliant Pearl.”
Leveraging the historical authenticity of official chronicles, this popular series employs the approach of “renowned scholars writing for the public,” inviting a group of highly respected experts to recount Shanghai’s stories. These scholars, known for their profound knowledge and engaging writing, transform complex historical narratives and geography into clear, accessible, and captivating reads.
Readers will encounter the glorious history of the Communist Party of China (CPC). In “Xintiandi: A Perfect Blend of Tradition and Modernity,” Party history expert Xu Guangshou recounts the founding of the CPC in Shanghai in compelling detail: “In the autumn of 1920, not long after the shikumen houses on Wangzhi Road in the French Concession were completed, Li Hanjun and his brother Li Shucheng moved in ... From July 23 to 30, 1921, the six meetings of the Party’s First National Congress were held here.”The book precisely informs readers of the time and location of this historic event.
You’ll also find accounts of the splendid history of New China. In “Xujiahui: An Encounter Between East and West,” city historian Su Zhiliang vividly describes the transformation of Shanghai before and after its liberation. For instance, he recounts how the once foul-smelling Zhaojiabang Creek, lined with makeshift huts and plagued by epidemics, was filled in and turned into a wide thoroughfare in 1954. Over 1,700 families were relocated into new housing, and what was once a
remote rural area filled with farmland evolved over decades —especially after reform and opening up — into the bustling Xujiahui commercial district, teeming with skyscrapers and busy streets. “In October 2012, ‘Xujiahui Origin’ was officially designated as a national 4A-level tourist attraction, the first commercial center in China to receive such a title.”
In “Jing’an Temple: Ancient Rhymes in the New Era,” scholar Xu Tao tells the story of the China Welfare Institute Children’s Palace and its careful nurturing of children’s growth. The former private residence of Sir Kadoorie on West Yan’an Road, built entirely of marble and known as the “Marble Mansion,” was converted into China’s first children’s palace on June 1, 1953, under the leadership of Madame Soong Ching Ling, then Vice President of the Central People’s Government. By 2018, the Children’s Palace had provided diverse activities for over 27 million children and training and practical opportunities for more than 400,000 Shanghai students. It has also welcomed over 200,000 domestic and international visitors. Many notable figures, such as painter Chen Yifei and writer Lu Xing’er, were once students there.
This series also lets you experience the surging tides of reform and opening up along both banks of the Huangpu River. The dramatic transformation of Pudong over the past 30 years serves as a vivid example. Decades of dedicated reform efforts have turned Lujia最 into a dense cluster of skyscrapers, including the Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Shanghai Tower, while attracting major Chinese and international banks and financial institutions, establishing it as Shanghai’s International Financial Center. In “Lujia最: A Brilliant Pearl,” financial historians Xing Jianrong and Shi Wen write: “Today, when we ascend the world’s highest 360-degree observation deck in just 55 seconds, from the first to the 118th floor, we truly feel the grandeur of ‘standing at the summit and seeing all mountains dwarfed.’ The dense high-rises of Lujia最 embody the vitality and dynamism of China’s reform and opening up.”
Reform and opening up is a pivotal chapter in the history of socialist development in China. Shanghai’s — particularly Pudong’s — pioneering experience strongly validates Deng Xiaoping’s assertion that “poverty is not socialism.”
This series also gives insights into the rapid development of socialist China over the past decades. In “People’s Square: The Zero Point of Shanghai,” historians Xiong Yuezhi and Yan Binlin tell readers how this geographical epicenter of Shanghai transformed originally from a race club. In 1950, the city government closed the elite Shanghai Race Club and decidedto earmark the grounds as a place for all people to enjoy. Chen Yi, the first mayor of Shanghai, wrote the inscription “People’s Park” when it was officially opened, which was a symbol of new beginnings for modern Shanghai, Xiong and Yan assert.
Learning from history helps us discern gains and losses. This popular local chronicles series uses specific stories to reflect broader trends, intertwining historical facts and insightful commentary, aiming to provide an authentic, accurate, and vivid account of Shanghai’s development. It allows readers to better understand the city’s past, present, and future. For this reason, I sincerely recommend this series to everyone — especially to our youth. I believe that by reading these books, we can deepen our love for our country, our city, and our hometown, while reinforcing our conviction that upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China, pursuing the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and advancing reform and opening up is the inevitable choice of history.
Wang Ronghua
Vice Chairman, 10th CPPCC Shanghai Committee
Specialist Member, National Textbook Committee
Director, Shanghai Education Development Foundation