Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2017 | Page 41

The Greatness of the Old Shanghai
Immaculate Heart of Mary College, Chan, Cheuk Hei – 13
S
hanghai is always considered to be a modernized city. Any traveler who visits Shanghai would
easily find this place with lots of historical traces. Even when you pass by a village in Shanghai,
every stone will tell you the unforgettable memories and the tales of the old Shanghai. Visiting
Shanghai would be a great experience for anyone who wants to know more about China, especially if
you could spend a few days there. Walking among the sleepy villages, you can find some old folks who
can still tell you the details about the hardship they endured during the war times.
Like other big cities in the world, it experienced its hardship and dark time in history. As the
metropolis of China, it was definitely one of the first cities which suffered tremendously during wars.
Unfortunately, when the Japanese invaded China in 1939, many people in Shanghai suffered a great
deal and even lost their lives. Although the city was occupied by Japanese, the people inside never
relinquished and kept fighting for their lives. After the war, the people helped to rebuild the city
industriously and facilitated the whole city to be reborn after this agonizing period.
After the war, many of the capitalist left Shanghai, and thus resulted in having a miserable
economy. The out broke of hyperinflation also made people life much worse as the people needed to
pay 40 dollars for one bread, but their salaries got no change. Many people could not afford the food
and move to the other places. Some of the people stayed, and they tried to rebuild the city. Finally,
their goals were achieved and Shanghai is now as prosperous as it was before the war. Shanghai
becomes a decisive place of the China again.
The buildings in Shanghai also could not escape the fate of being destroyed during the wars.
Many of the roads, historical buildings and public services were destroyed or forced to be stopped or
suspended. Unfortunately, the Chinese Civil War destroyed even more buildings than the Second
Sino-Japanese War. The homes of people were destroyed and they had no place to sustain their living.
Many people lost their parents or friends in the rubble. During these dismal periods, no one helped
them sustain their lives, and they had nothing to eat at all. They could not upload the meaning of life
anymore. To endure all these hardship, the Shanghai residents’ spirit shone. They worked as a union to
rebuild the city, and finally, they became the heroes of building up the prosperous society of the
modern Shanghai.
There are many historical buildings in the old Shanghai. Shanghai is the first city of China to be
developed by not only the Chinese, but also the westerners. Therefore, the buildings in the Old
Shanghai are a very good specimen if you want to know the history of Shanghai, and also the blend of
the Chinese and Western cultures. The first HSBC Building of China is a very good example. This
building was built in 1923. Being designed by a British company, it definitely carries the British style,
however, no one would expect that the location of the building is actually based on Feng Shui.
The view of Shanghai is of no doubt, gorgeous. Everyone would agree that the view of the
Bund is definitely eminent and stunning. The development of the Bund started just after Shanghai was
opened for trading. Many countries built some tall buildings here. It is also a place where many
countries also set up their settlements and consulates, so the Bund is ‘the Little Western world’ in
China.
Moreover, the Bund is the first park of China, and its impressive view and the calming sea are the
perfect spots for film making and romance.
As Shanghai is the first place in China that was opened for trade, so that the Old Shanghai was
also famous for its ‘high-tech’ stuffs at that time. Shanghai is the first place in China to have trams as
their transportation, and indeed it has also been a successful industrial city for many decades. No
wonder the products with the label, ‘Made in Shanghai’ are very much welcomed by locals even in
today’s Shanghai.