Old Shanghai
Regents Primary School of Shenzhen , Liu , Annika - 9
L
ife in a city is composed of almost everything in each and every corner and at all times . A pedestrian may glance at all these activities whether he is in a hurry or just taking a stroll . He may become curious , enthusiastic or suspicious of the scene . But inevitably he will forget what he has seen . We are all pedestrians of the previous generations .
It was a period of many years before the waves of Western life were introduced into Shanghai . Before that long pigtails , robes , women with bound feet , grand ceremonies for weddings or funerals , officials in sedan-chairs could be seen everywhere . At that time , women always wore qi pao-a close fitting woman ’ s dress with high neck and slit skirt . The opening of ports to trade and commercial and industrial developments had not yet affected the lives of ordinary people much . Those at the top tended to be even more conservative .
Shanghai has long been a place that is highly influenced by Western styles and manners . So its people like holding wedding ceremony in Western style . A bow tie , dark suit , white wedding dress , red roses , a pair of white gloves held in hand , all these items of apparel and decoration were both Western and local . It is an interesting phenomenon in China . People try to improve their old practices but fall into new stereotypical patterns . The traditional wedding ceremony has easily been cast away . Sedan chairs are replaced by cars decorated with flowers ; kowtowing to Heaven and Earth is replaced by making pledges in churches ; the lady in charge of a wedding ceremony is replaced by a Master of Ceremonies . A bride does not have to go through the process of hair-do making and cleansing of facial hair . She begins to perm her hair by means of electricity or chemical fluids . The red cloth head gear is a thing of the past . She no longer has to show even the slightest shyness . Instead she would hold the bridegroom ’ s arm in high spirits , and let the photographers take pictures of the couple surrounded by relatives and friends . The ceremonies ignite people ’ s enthusiasm for life and give people new opportunities for imagination .
There is no tradition that could remain forever in Shanghai . People in the city tend to imitate the practices of some foreign countries . In a period as short as a century , most of the traditions have changed . Sedan chairs , suona trumpets , the red head gear and red candles have all become stage sets or decorative objects for films of an oriental legendary nature . Another legend has now been exaggerated : Western Shanghai , the Paris of the East . Imitation has given the city an exotic atmosphere . Even nowadays , it is still seeking a common ground with foreign countries .
The recreational activities of the people of Shanghai are rich in variety . Local residents are fond of new things yet they stick to their old games . The same man might drink coffee as well as smoke opium , enjoy a waltz as well as play mahjong . Mahjong is a household game , as it is most suited to women . It is a game for four people , so it is also a good social activity for sociable women . In short , it is most suitable for urban married women who could afford the money and time .
On the occasion of a party , be it a wedding ceremony , a funeral , a birthday party or a banquet at weekends , Westerners would be very polite and behave in a most appropriate manner . Disorder and racket would not be permitted . When this got to China , they regarded themselves as civilized people and their way of life became a model to many Chinese .
Long time ago , there were all sorts of people living in Shanghai . Many of them took the city as their second home . There were Jewish millionaires , big-shots from Ningbo , Indian policemen , English managers , Guangdong chefs , refugees from Huaibei , French attache , writers from Sichuan , Japanese performers , and Russians , they all considered Shanghai as their second home . Today they live probably in the same place-Heaven . If you look at it this way , Shanghai to anyone is a second hometown .
When you stand by the Huangpu River and gaze at the tall buildings with neon lights , you will soon sigh with emotion . Your sigh might start with the Sassoon Mansion . Sassoon was a lame man with a plaque on his car marked 2222 , a real estate developer , a greedy money grubber , a cunning philanthropist who donated a large sum of money to Jewish refugees in Shanghai . If you look further back in time , you will find that evil and grandeur appeared hand in hand : opium