Yonglefang is on North Sichuan Road in Shanghai. During the years of my childhood, North Sichuan Road was just a small street with a few shops and few people. That time, my friends and I played in the road. We rode our little bikes, chased each other and screamed on the road and no one scolded us. The roads were desolated. However, one day people came here and began to change it.
They widened and decorated it. Many shops, malls, plazas and restaurants came. In my memory, Sichuan Road became a golden mile of Shanghai, suddenly. Things changed to a new level; there were thousands of people walking on the road every day; the traffic became very busy. Once we came out Yonglefang to the road, we got lost. Yet I was excited about that the surroundings of Yonglefang becoming so busy and the way we played changed to. We didn’t play simple games any more but we went to the video game arcades and roller skated in front of the malls.
Actually, the changes around Yonglefang reflected the whole changes in Shanghai. Shanghai started its extremely fast development during those years. When my parents took me out to somewhere to play, they got lost, too. Everywhere in Shanghai was being rebuilding and the old views disappeared, the sight of the same place became totally new. Every day, thousands of buildings were being demolished and thousands of buildings were being built. Shanghainese were just busy with accepting the new view of Shanghai, with great shock.
Nowadays, old resident buildings are almost extinct from Shanghai and unfortunately, Yonglefang was one of those being demolished. I miss those old buildings and my old life but I can only find them on the pictures.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
My old life in Yonglefang
I grew up in Yonglefang which was a name of a Linong. However, now it has been demolished. Compared to now, that period of life in Yonglefang was very hard, but I it's hard not help to love and miss that kind of life.
Life in Linong was poor, but true, happy and peaceful.
I had lived in Yonglefang till I was eight years old. I liked the mornings there. When I woke up, I was the only one in the room but I could hear the sounds in the kitchen. My parents went to work but my grandpa and grandma was in the kitchen, cooking my breakfast. The kitchen was full of racket and whispers. My grandparents and the neighbors were afraid that their voices would awake me. I got up and went out the room and saw the delicious food was right there waiting for me. Then I went out the door, came to the Linong and found the Linong was full of sunshine, with people coming and going, saying hello to me. Adults were ready to work and kids were sit in the Linong, out of the buildings, eating breakfast or stood at the doors, brushing teeth or washing face. It was the picture of a busy and hopeful morning, which I remembered for so many years. I'll never forget the sounds in the kitchen, the caring of my grandparents, the sunshine in Yonglefang, the hopeful expressions on people’s faces and the whole feeling of the old peaceful life.
Ever since I left Yonglefang, I have never had such mornings. On weekdays, I hurry to school when I get up and usually have breakfast on the way to school. Now, I don’t know anyone else in our building. My grandparents passed away and I don’t know where the other aged are; sunshine is only in other people's home; no one greets me; no kids eat outside there home……
Life in Linong was poor, but true, happy and peaceful.
I had lived in Yonglefang till I was eight years old. I liked the mornings there. When I woke up, I was the only one in the room but I could hear the sounds in the kitchen. My parents went to work but my grandpa and grandma was in the kitchen, cooking my breakfast. The kitchen was full of racket and whispers. My grandparents and the neighbors were afraid that their voices would awake me. I got up and went out the room and saw the delicious food was right there waiting for me. Then I went out the door, came to the Linong and found the Linong was full of sunshine, with people coming and going, saying hello to me. Adults were ready to work and kids were sit in the Linong, out of the buildings, eating breakfast or stood at the doors, brushing teeth or washing face. It was the picture of a busy and hopeful morning, which I remembered for so many years. I'll never forget the sounds in the kitchen, the caring of my grandparents, the sunshine in Yonglefang, the hopeful expressions on people’s faces and the whole feeling of the old peaceful life.
Ever since I left Yonglefang, I have never had such mornings. On weekdays, I hurry to school when I get up and usually have breakfast on the way to school. Now, I don’t know anyone else in our building. My grandparents passed away and I don’t know where the other aged are; sunshine is only in other people's home; no one greets me; no kids eat outside there home……
Old Resident Buildings
In old Shanghai, people used to live in two to three story houses that are extremely long and very close to each other. They form many narrow meandering footpaths, which have been the unit of Shanghai residence for a long time. Such units include three to five lines of short buildings and the footpaths within them. They are called "Li","Nong" or generally called "Linong". Each Linong has its own name. Like today, people often say that “ I live in XXX building, apt YYY…”, but about twenty years ago, people said “ I live in Yongwen Li”, “ I live in Kuanan Nong” ( “Yongwen” and “Kuanan” are both names of Linong) and so on.
See the picture of Linong:
At that time, all Shanghainese lived in such house. The living environment was extremely bad. Often, hundreds of people lived in one Linong. The long buildings were divided into many parts. Two to three families lived in one part, each story holds one family. Every divided part has one kitchen and several bathrooms, so the families lives in the same area share the kitchen, with several stoves in it, and have one bathroom for themselves. Generally, one family, no matter there are three or six people, have only one big room. Therefore, people were very closed to their neighbor, sometimes even nearer than their relatives. They talked when cooking, when washing, when eating, and any time they were at home.
See the picture of Linong:
At that time, all Shanghainese lived in such house. The living environment was extremely bad. Often, hundreds of people lived in one Linong. The long buildings were divided into many parts. Two to three families lived in one part, each story holds one family. Every divided part has one kitchen and several bathrooms, so the families lives in the same area share the kitchen, with several stoves in it, and have one bathroom for themselves. Generally, one family, no matter there are three or six people, have only one big room. Therefore, people were very closed to their neighbor, sometimes even nearer than their relatives. They talked when cooking, when washing, when eating, and any time they were at home.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Famous architectures in Shanghai
Shanghai is a diversified city. It has people not only from all around the country but also all around the world. Statistics show that less than 30% of Shanghai’s populations are those who were born and grew up in Shanghai.So, we know that most people live in Shanghai come from different places. Therefore, the feature of Shanghai is diversity. Shanghai has both various food from all over the world and different architectures of global styles.
Today I want to write about two famous architectures in Shanghai.
Though Shanghai was an important harbor in ancient China, the ancient architectures didn’t survive. Some old buildings were broken during the war time, but most of them were destroyed in order to build new modern buildings. The only ancient building surviving in Shanghai currently is the Yu Garden which was built in 1559. It was built as a private garden in the 18th century and was the center of Shanghai in the 19th century and now it is one of the most famous tourists’ attractions in Shanghai. The Yu Garden showsthe history of Shanghai and the great charm of ancient China style. Here is a picture of Today’s Yu Garden:
Today I want to write about two famous architectures in Shanghai.
Though Shanghai was an important harbor in ancient China, the ancient architectures didn’t survive. Some old buildings were broken during the war time, but most of them were destroyed in order to build new modern buildings. The only ancient building surviving in Shanghai currently is the Yu Garden which was built in 1559. It was built as a private garden in the 18th century and was the center of Shanghai in the 19th century and now it is one of the most famous tourists’ attractions in Shanghai. The Yu Garden showsthe history of Shanghai and the great charm of ancient China style. Here is a picture of Today’s Yu Garden:
Another group of architectures in Shanghai is the Bund. The buildings in the Bund were built by the English when they invaded China. When P.R.C was founded, the building in the Bund was used as government buildings and banks. Now the Bund is a magnificent view in Shanghai because of its lights and its style, totally different from a style of eastern city but incredibly suitable. If you went to Shanghai without visiting the Bund, you can’t say you have been to Shanghai. The Bund is showing the diversity and international feature of modern Shanghai. Below is a picture of the Bund:
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Brief history of Shanghai
(picture: With the fast development in Shanghai, there are both new buildings and old ruins every where. The city is rebirthing.)
Shanghai, located in eastern China, is often said that it has a short history because many people believe it was formed of the sediments from the ocean so this place didn’t even exist in the ancient times. That belief was right is some extent as Shanghai is extended by the deposit of sediments from the ocean, but most of that theory was wrong.
On the contrary, evidences show Shanghai has a long history. Historians found there are more than 25 historic markings from 6000 years ago in Shanghai, which means human have been living in this area for more than 6000 years. However, it is true that Shanghai was not a city in the past. It was just a little fishing village. We can say that the culture of Shanghai is based on fishing. One of its nicknames “Hu” comes from a kind of fishing gear and the other, “Shen”, comes from the biggest river in Shanghai which was called “Chun Shen” river in the past.
In the middle of the Tang dynasty (about 751 B.C.), in the need of marine trade, Shanghai was fast developed as one of the most important harbor in China and till then, it has become one of the biggest town in eastern China. Till about 1648 B.C., because of benefits from some new trade policies, the economy of Shanghai developed unprecedentedly and it was the most important trade center and transport center of the whole country. Yet at that time, Shanghai was invaded by several European countries and was divided to several parts that belong to different countries. In that period, a lot of different cultures and foreign languages were brought in to Shanghai by those countries and many buildings of different styles were built by the aggressors. Though it was the darkest period of Shanghai, it also provided the start of the great diversity of today’s Shanghai.
When the People’s Republic of China was founded, Shanghai was made one of the most important cities and the government tried hard to develop Shanghai to a modern, flourishing, industrial and financial city. Nowadays, Shanghai, being called as “the eastern New York”, has become the shinning pearl in Asia.
On the contrary, evidences show Shanghai has a long history. Historians found there are more than 25 historic markings from 6000 years ago in Shanghai, which means human have been living in this area for more than 6000 years. However, it is true that Shanghai was not a city in the past. It was just a little fishing village. We can say that the culture of Shanghai is based on fishing. One of its nicknames “Hu” comes from a kind of fishing gear and the other, “Shen”, comes from the biggest river in Shanghai which was called “Chun Shen” river in the past.
In the middle of the Tang dynasty (about 751 B.C.), in the need of marine trade, Shanghai was fast developed as one of the most important harbor in China and till then, it has become one of the biggest town in eastern China. Till about 1648 B.C., because of benefits from some new trade policies, the economy of Shanghai developed unprecedentedly and it was the most important trade center and transport center of the whole country. Yet at that time, Shanghai was invaded by several European countries and was divided to several parts that belong to different countries. In that period, a lot of different cultures and foreign languages were brought in to Shanghai by those countries and many buildings of different styles were built by the aggressors. Though it was the darkest period of Shanghai, it also provided the start of the great diversity of today’s Shanghai.
When the People’s Republic of China was founded, Shanghai was made one of the most important cities and the government tried hard to develop Shanghai to a modern, flourishing, industrial and financial city. Nowadays, Shanghai, being called as “the eastern New York”, has become the shinning pearl in Asia.
Other old buildings in Shanghai
As I said, Shanghai is a multicultural city. Exotic old buildings are everywhere and most of them are not well known by the public; they just appear in our daily life as one of the most common things. So many exotic styles came together and then formed a new style called: Shanghai. If you observe Shanghai style carefully, you will find that each element of that has different origin and different story.
One typical example is the dormer. Actually dormer is a classical style of European architectures but when it came to Shanghai, it mixed with the Chinese style, such as the Chinese eaves and Chinese tiles. Almost all residential buildings in Shanghai have this feature-the dormer. Besides, the dormers in Shanghai are nearly in the same style, which means they have same shape, same color and same windows. As Shanghainese, the dormers are not only an element of the old architectures but also a memory of childhood. When we were little children, we all lived in those old buildings, watching the sky through the highest windows, and imagining that someday we can grow wings and fly out the windows. However now such buildings, with dormers on the top, are fading away from this city. A net pal said, “When I saw the dormers again somewhere, I suddenly remembered the dormer was the thing that I always want to touch but my parents never let me do so as it was so dangerous. I dreamed of crawling out of the window for years, in my childhood.”
One typical example is the dormer. Actually dormer is a classical style of European architectures but when it came to Shanghai, it mixed with the Chinese style, such as the Chinese eaves and Chinese tiles. Almost all residential buildings in Shanghai have this feature-the dormer. Besides, the dormers in Shanghai are nearly in the same style, which means they have same shape, same color and same windows. As Shanghainese, the dormers are not only an element of the old architectures but also a memory of childhood. When we were little children, we all lived in those old buildings, watching the sky through the highest windows, and imagining that someday we can grow wings and fly out the windows. However now such buildings, with dormers on the top, are fading away from this city. A net pal said, “When I saw the dormers again somewhere, I suddenly remembered the dormer was the thing that I always want to touch but my parents never let me do so as it was so dangerous. I dreamed of crawling out of the window for years, in my childhood.”
This is a picture of Shanghai characterized dormers.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Blog Introduction: Focus on Shanghai!
Hey everybody! See the magnificent picture on the top? That’s Shanghai, the city I grew up in and have great passion for.
I have lived in Shanghai for 18 years and was greatly impregnate with the breath of it. I can feel even the slightest element of this place. I know all the soil, air and sunlight in Shanghai well and think they are certainly different from those in other places. Shanghai is my best friend, whose language I can understand. So I write about Shanghai, not only to show my passion for it, but also to try to let you understand this modern beautiful city.
I have lived in Shanghai for 18 years and was greatly impregnate with the breath of it. I can feel even the slightest element of this place. I know all the soil, air and sunlight in Shanghai well and think they are certainly different from those in other places. Shanghai is my best friend, whose language I can understand. So I write about Shanghai, not only to show my passion for it, but also to try to let you understand this modern beautiful city.
I will use this blog to write about the daily life in Shanghai, mostly the common life of Shanghai teenagers. I will talk about the common living environment, popular food, fashionable clothes, whats "in" among the youngsters, and our lifestyles in the city. Maybe I will mention the history and current economical circumstance of Shanghai a little, but just a little. The majority is about the common life of the new generation of Shanghainese.
When I decided to talk about Shanghai, I felt I was the only one who can do that. Staying in US and making friends with Americans, I came to know that most Americans know little about the Asian city, Shanghai. Here, I, one whose lived in Shanghai for 18 years, am the only person who has the ability to inform you about Shanghai. No one here knows the place better or loves it more deeply than me.
When I decided to talk about Shanghai, I felt I was the only one who can do that. Staying in US and making friends with Americans, I came to know that most Americans know little about the Asian city, Shanghai. Here, I, one whose lived in Shanghai for 18 years, am the only person who has the ability to inform you about Shanghai. No one here knows the place better or loves it more deeply than me.
From now on, I hope you enjoy our fantastic journey to the remote city: Shanghai!
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