Shanghai Old Town lies under the shadow of tall buildings and is split by highways, but its street life reflects an environment that is centuries old. The network of lanes formed slowly, chaotically, following the contours of garden estates and creeks, and many neighborhoods here still express the free-spirited, entrepreneurial and resilient character of the old port. Shanghai’s history stretches back almost a thousand years, and most of this story plays out on a site that is now enclosed within the circuit of Renmin Road and Zhonghua Road – the former Walled City. Relics of the past survive here, unnoticed and neglected, and our purpose was to catalog them, trace their origin and weave this information into the historical narrative. This atlas is divided into two volumes, “The Old Docks” and “The Walled City.” The first volume, published in 2015, covered the Dongjiadu area near the old river port, which was largely erased by 2016. The second volume focuses on the ancient city core, once confined within the city wall. Each chapter highlights an important site or a street, and then drifts into the surrounding neighborhood to identify historic relics, unique local customs and families with centuries-long ties to their city.
Shanghai Old Town. Topography of a Phantom City. Volume 2. The Walled City
Knyazeva EkaterinaPrimo
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
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2018-01-01
Abstract
Shanghai Old Town lies under the shadow of tall buildings and is split by highways, but its street life reflects an environment that is centuries old. The network of lanes formed slowly, chaotically, following the contours of garden estates and creeks, and many neighborhoods here still express the free-spirited, entrepreneurial and resilient character of the old port. Shanghai’s history stretches back almost a thousand years, and most of this story plays out on a site that is now enclosed within the circuit of Renmin Road and Zhonghua Road – the former Walled City. Relics of the past survive here, unnoticed and neglected, and our purpose was to catalog them, trace their origin and weave this information into the historical narrative. This atlas is divided into two volumes, “The Old Docks” and “The Walled City.” The first volume, published in 2015, covered the Dongjiadu area near the old river port, which was largely erased by 2016. The second volume focuses on the ancient city core, once confined within the city wall. Each chapter highlights an important site or a street, and then drifts into the surrounding neighborhood to identify historic relics, unique local customs and families with centuries-long ties to their city.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
