History of Shanghai - Research Paper Example

Shanghai from Colonial to Postcolonial Shanghai, one of the cities in China is located on the East tip of Yangtze River Delta that is midway along the China’s Eastern Coastline (Pott Web). The city stated as a small town during the 11 century and grew steadily as a commercial, economic and financial Centre of China. The city of Shanghai is literally known as, “Above the Sea” since it was built on the Port of Huangpu River where the River Yangtze drains into the East China Sea. Earlier before, the city was well known as the fishing and textile town where Shanghai gained its uniqueness after being opened by the external authorities known as the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. Further, the Americans, French, Germans, British and Russia came in to set their distinctive Western Style banks, mansions and trading houses leaving behind the long-lasting architectural legacy. The Japanese conquered China with an intension of capturing Shanghai in 1937. Further, the Jews again came in Shanghai to flee persecution that later made them to be forced to ghettoes by the Japanese in 1941 (Pott Web). Later in 1943, the Chinese and the Japanese surrounded all the foreigners in Shanghai and matched them off to various prison campgrounds. In connection to this, the Britain and the U.S.A were forced to sign the treaty to return the various settlements to Shanghai but under the Chinese rule. In 1949, the Communists came to Shanghai to rule. During these periods, the city remained a major industrial Centre boosting the population. Industrialization increased and several high buildings were constructed that further raised the population of Shanghai making the city to grow rich (Pott Web). In 1983, the Shanghai Museum was found and Oriental Pearl Tower was put up then followed by the Mao Tower in 1999. The People Liberation Army under the new People Republic of China took control of Shanghai that led to most foreigners to move their offices from Shanghai to Hong Kong due to the Communist victory. The lower stretches of River Yangtze that’s runs through the city of Shanghai deposits lots of mud to its bay creating beautiful alluvial plain features. The River flow of the Yangtze, tides and wind has equally contributed to the formation of the alluvial plain including the present Yangtze River Delta (Pott Web). Shanghai delta on the East tip covers an approximate area of 6, 340.5 square kilometers that contributes to 2, 448.1 square miles. The Shanghai city lies on the altitude of three to five meters that is relatively made up of soft and loose soil. The city is made up of lower hinterland towards the West and a slight higher Coastal region towards the East. The large portion of the alluvial plains formed within the city covers most of the areas in the central and East of the city parts including the Minghang, Jinshan, jiading and Minghang Districts. The city of Shanghai succeeded as a cosmopolitan and flourishing financial and commercial center was nicknamed “the Pairs of the East” in 1920s and 1930s. However, despite Shanghai being the candle of Chinese Communism, the city was abandoned during the Cultural Revolution that took place in the 1960s and 1970s (Pott Web). Later in the 1990s, the city of Shanghai was preferred to boost the recent China’s reform and opening up that resulted to the extreme development of the Shanghai. On the other hand, the city of Shanghai has often been used as the aspiration of the Chinese for films, cocktail and novels. Even though Beijing may appear to be more mysterious, Shanghai provides half understood and semi mythical images. The few hills and small mountains in the southwest Qingpu and Songjiang Districts such as Fenghuang, Tianma, Xiaokunshan and Hengshan Mountains contributed to the growth of the Shanghai city by cool temperatures experienced around (Pott Web). Some of the offshore islands within the area including the Dajinshan that longest with an altitude of 103. 4 meters, Fushan and Xiaojinshan islands created beautiful features to most people who made their visits to Shanghai city. Moreover, some of the three alluvial islands around the area such as the Chongming, Changxing and Hengsha in the bays of River Yangtze play a significant role to the county of Shanghai. Shanghai has been one of the must go places in china by most people globally due to the fashionable and ancient scenic attracting spots within the city has attracted large number of visitors. The water network system within the city emerges to be the densest and most developed in China. Most of the lakes and rivers enable the constant supply of water that facilitates the transportation and the irrigations activities (Pott Web). The presence of some natural resources within the city also contributes to the growth of the Shanghai city. The Dajinshan Island and Sheshan Mountain are the only places where natural vegetation such as the cultivated crops, flowers and trees could be seen. However, the region of Shanghai had no good habitat for the wild animals leaving room for domestication of the domestic animals only. The inadequacy of the mineral resources and the energy sources in Shanghai gave chance to the use of crude oil and natural gas that was available in the offing of East china as the only alternatives as a source of energy to the people of Shanghai. In 1972, the president of US Richard Nixon signed the Shanghai communiqué that provided the foundation for trade between the US and China. The agreement was marked as the China turning point for foreign relation (Pott Web). The doors of China lastly revived to the west in 1979 and with Xiaoping Deng at controls allowing China to set course of pragmatic alterations in the direction of economic modernization that resulted to consistent and strong annual growth rates. Deng Xiaoping under his reform came up with a slogan that, “it matters not whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice” to fight for revolution. China under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping brought much chaos from the Cultural Revolution. Deng Xiaoping as one of the oldest fighter and survivor of the mythological Long March and a supporter of Zhou Enlai made him to be respected in the Party.Xiaoping Dengs in 1977 returned to the upper ranks after realizing that Hua Guofeng is fading politically. Xiaoping Deng succeeded to be the paramount leader. As a leader, Deng described himself as a Marxist-Leninist that was being opposed to be a practical Marxist socialism that is supposed to be scientific as a man of revolution. Deng preferred the opening China to be known as the global economy. In the early 1979, the China authorities moved its economic strategy to highlight the production of consumer goods for market abroad (Pott Web). The reassembling of fundamentals of legal systems started since the party leaders were seeing inadequate validity as the one of the cause’s abuse during the period of Cultural Revolution. The incident led to an establishment of the Ministry of Justice that contributed to the setting of the State Courts. The State Courts became law schools that made Party leaders to have hoped that the lawyers would provide protection to the Chinese during the Cultural Revolution. China through Deng invited specialist lawyer from US known as Alan Dershowitz to provide lecture of various subjects related to law to the law students in various State courts. Deng and other comrades started the program of research and rehabilitation that took them five years of the individuals who have been convicted as convicts during the communalist years including Liu Shaoqi (Pott Web). During late 1980, four comrades including Jiang Qing were put in trial and charged with enclosing and prosecuting thousands of people and responsibility for great number of deaths of people. The exercise was foe testing the law rules. During the period of economic advancements, most of the students were sent to foreign countries for further studies with government taking the expense (Pott Web). However, in 1984, China started to improve working relationship with foreign powers and businesses. Deng restored the religious freedom in the city of Shanghai to the Chinese leading to opening Protestants and Catholic churches. Development of Shanghai’s Economy The diverse, complex, wholly, and unique setting of Shanghai qualifies it to be the home on the face of the planet since shanghai combines all elements of old and new ushering in a new age for Chinese culture and economics. In the past years, Shanghai has experienced rapid social and economic growth with remarkable achievements in environment protection and urban infrastructure with substantial progress in people living standards in Shanghai (Chow Web). The infrastructure development has resulted to vastly improved transportation in relation to the highways, tunnels, bridges, subway lines, and increase in port capacity and opening some new international airports. This was due to the incredible crowd and densely population experienced in Shanghai. Being the largest port and the center of various techniques, finance, trade, information and culture in China greatly contributed to the economic growth. The economic growth is the main dream of the people living in Shanghai by cleaning up some of the polluted rivers and green vegetation also emerges. Even though Shanghai shares most of the features with neighboring large cities such as New York, Shanghai still qualifies to be the most different and unique (Chow Web). New York City and Shanghai qualifies to be the great ports, however, the New York City started as a colony of Netherlands as Amsterdam then later on the British changed it to New York. On the other hand, Shanghai has been Chinese port with great influence of the Europeans until the treaty of Nanjing in nineteenth century. The agreement stated that there are certain areas of the River Huang Pu to be surrendered to European authorities. The surrendered area today is known as the Bund by the Westerners and Weitan by the local people of China. The Weitan today still have the historic and attractive pictures that play a significant role in the economic development of the Shanghai City. The current level and urgency construction in china has contributed to astonishing infrastructure improvement in Shanghai. The urban development of Museum has greatly contributed to the economic growth of Shanghai City in China (Chow Web). The introduction of Museums in Shanghai has led to increase in number of the tourists in China. The increase in foreigners within the Shanghai city has contributed to the high foreign exchange rate to the people and the government of China. Revenues collected from the foreigners have led to the improvement of the economic development of Shanghai. Shanghainese were viewed as the cosmopolitan people of China in the early 20th century. Shanghai city also contributed to the China cultural life. The rise in the cultural economy in the city of Shanghai has led to the growth of the cultural economy. The coming together of cultural and economic expansion as the ‘’realm of human culture as a whole is increasingly subject to commoditization. Haipai, the Shanghai culture was regarded as the contributor of commerce in distinction to the more firm and official Beijing culture (Chow Web). ’’ The Chinese realized that the local culture helps in shaping the nature of several urban economic developments and activities that makes a dynamic element of the place culture generating capability. Cultural activities help in the development of economy through the creation of the marketable output whose mental gratification is further important to the consumer than useful purposes. Further, the study of the cultural economy of the city of Shanghai targets a particular sector of production and cultural industries. With the population of the china of 16million, shanghai has contributed about 1/12 of the china total industrial output value, ¼ of the china total export, 1/8 of the china financial revenue and 1/6 of the china’s port cargo handling volume. The Growth Domestic Product (GDP) of Shanghai in 2003 rose to 622.8 billion RBM. With the existence of Shanghai, the annual growth rate has managed to become twice in relation to the last decades (Song & Wing Web). There has been an increase in GDP in Shanghai since 1952 when it was about 430 Yuan till 2000 when it reached 34,600 Yuan. Shanghai has been a long and major textile manufacturer that has helps China with the domestic fashion production. China being the largest iron and steel producer and main refining center for copper, zinc and lead globally has greatly contributed to the economic growth of the Shanghai city. Being an industrialized nation, the majority are employed with regardless to age and sex. The level of technological innovation among the people of China is generally high creating a chance for various positions to occupy. Flowing capital from the foreign exchange has been experienced in the city leading to the booming of the city for the last decade increasing the economic growth of the Shanghai (Song & Wing Web). Several foreign investment projects in Shanghai have also contributed to the economic growth. The Chinese colonial and historical neighborhoods are currently secured and have been transformed into avenues of cafes and shops. The advanced new theatres and cultural centers in Shanghai has created top attracting performances from China and abroad. The historic protection zones have largely contributed to the growth of the economy of the Shanghai. Policies of relocating the historical buildings have been designed. The old Shanghai club, Hong Kong, Shanghai Bank Building, Cathy Hotel and other historic buildings in the early 20th century are preserved for tourist attraction. The revival of the Shanghai’s commercial is evidenced by the creation of new central business district (CBD) all the way from the Bund to the other side of the River. The Shanghai Central Business District (CBD) plays the role of being the financial and business services for more economic growth. Through the effort of rejuvenating the city’s commercial fame, searching of the defining commercial streets with the symbolic drive that helps in boosting the food, culture and best fashion for economic improvement (Song & Wing Web). The Construction of the Lujiazui CBD in relation to the long term ambitions of the city enabled by the planning of the international counseling process to host various financial institutions, commercial, corporate control centers and agricultural activities should be hosted there (Taylor Web). The Haipai culture has been seen as the expression of modernism in the past and helps in distinguishing the Shanghai from other cities in China enabling Shanghai to quickly regain the standing as modern and dynamic creating the development of economy to the people and the government of the China. Xintiandi one of the areas in Shanghai has created the balance between the past and the present. The name Xintiandi according to the people of Shanghai means, “New Heaven on Earth,” after the communist error, the Xintiandi was established with the aim of attracting tourists that shows the local and cultural history of China. The old Shikumen style building claimed modernized centers while the exteriors have been reinstated and conserved in order to retain and maintain the Shanghai historical visual and integrating the western culture and influences (Taylor Web). As a result, the existence of the Xintiandi has led to the large attraction of the foreigners and other local people within China creating the chance to boost the economic development to the people of China and the government. Since the area has been commercialized, most residents feel at home. However, the place is regarded to be an island on its own since it is segregated from various Chinese cultures and the other parts of Shanghai city. The existence of the cuisine in Shanghai has improved the accommodation of people from various ethical backgrounds creating sharing of thought and experiences that can foster the introduction of positive findings that can promote the economic developments of the Shanghai. The city of shanghai has been considered to go under various dramatic changes due to the influences of foreigners (Liu & Xiang Web). Shanghai being the, “Pearl of the Orient,” Xiaoping Deng opened china’s doors globally with a policy of, “if China is a dragon, then Shanghai is its tail,” could automatically tell the possible direction the city is taking. Shanghai being the economic and supreme of the substantial expansion of the New and Westernized China, Shanghai also represents the change and relationship between the West and the East. Shanghai holds the historical and political boundaries. The city also qualified to be the education, art and tradition center. Moreover, Shanghai lost almost all its labeled metropolis of traditional and cultural the in exploration of the social and economic development. The program of modernizing Shanghai embarked on since the year 1980s that involved the generation of the cosmopolitan culture that came into existence in 20th century. Standing for modernity, popularity, and adaptability, the culture of Shanghai has offered the difference of old and new top and normal of the Chinese and westerners. The advanced built environment automatically reflected the commercial nature of the Western influence to the Chinese. Future of Shanghai In the past two decades, Shanghai leaders looked keenly how the new china born of Xiaoping economic modifications seemed that the history has gone tainted on the trial. The effort of Deng and the new experimental prompt of the metropolis, Shenzhen on the border of Hong Kong that was full of industries drew thousands of ambitious young men all over the country (Liu & Xiang Web). Deng held national casting for china to be the next business center. The Shanghai top officials later petitioned their superiors in Beijing by urging them to reopen the global Chinese historical and financial bases. Back then even Deng’s pro-market political partners were cautious of Shanghai Liu & Xiang Web). Some top leaders became worried that the releasing of the China’s cradle of cosmopolitanism and revolution could overturn their regulation. Others were worried that the symbolism only would help their ideological opponents. Deng was already affected by anti-market groups within the Party who warned that his new Special Economic Zones for international investment would become “foreign enterprise zones” renewed. Though Deng had been able to overrule them in creating Shenzhen, the symbolism of their critique would be much more salient in Shanghai, a city that had actually been the alliance of foreign concerns during China’s “Century of Embarrassment,” from the Opium War through World War II. Various plans have been set for the future appearance of Shanghai. Structures of different designs are in the mind of the people of Shanghai. However, due to the hard work and investment s of the people of shanghai, this will become possible (Lagerkvist, 2010). The city of shanghai is expected to have some extra infrastructures that are well modernized to meet the target of the government and the people of Shanghai. The improvement of the structures will automatically boost the level of tourist attraction within the city crating more foreign exchange. The increase in modernized accommodation structures in Shanghai will also contribute to increase in the population of local and foreigners within the city. However, it is expected that through this, more chances of employment opportunities to the youths would be created. Retrieved from (Taylor Web) The improved road network system will contribute to easy and faster transportation of human beings, raw materials and finished products from and within Shanghai. The large towers and funny looking buildings that are expected to be in Shanghai in future are expected to be like the scene from one of the star war movies. Additionally, the Chinese pride is all about building a tallest financial tower centre that is under construction and it is expected to replace the current china financial centre (Liu & Xiang Web). The planning of the structures in Shanghai in future will have modernized shopping malls, complex hotels, offices centers of China. However, Shanghai is expected to clear up with level of pollution both on dry land and the associated rivers within. Leaning up of the polluted rivers would lead to clean water supply for both commercial and domestic use. Further, the improvement of water supply system within Shanghai would lead to introduction and improvement of water transport system to the local people and the visitors. Over past years, Shanghai has experienced dramatically changes in development. Earlier on, shanghai was regarded as the economic dynamic and political unstable city. In 1842, Shanghai qualifies to become the first Chinese city to trade with the westerners and it was formally opened. Further, in 1930s, shanghai qualified to be the China’s leading industrial and trading city. In 1960s, the city of Shanghai became in the front line of the Cultural Revolution making the local economy to decline. Moreover, in relation to the economic and political reform in late 1980s and by the end of 1990s, Shanghai managed to be both political and stable productive city of China (Liu & Xiang Web). The trend automatically suggests the possible outcomes of shanghai city with increase in number of years. Shanghai economic success is increasing annually. Bangkok and Bombay becomes the honey pot for the rural poor. With good management of the economic expansion and environmental sustainability, shanghai will be in a position of being the “Heaven on Earth.” Tourist attractions in Shanghai are expected to shoot up with high percentage. The increase in tourists in Shanghai will contribute to the economic development through foreign exchange. Annual increase in population in China will increase the level of graduates since most of the schools within and abroad will be in a position of producing many graduates with diverse thinking capabilities (Chow Web). Through this, China will be in a position of further improving the technological innovations that may foster the growth of various levels of life experiences and problems. Educational institutions are expected to be increased in number to cater for the needs of the students. Improvement in technology will enhance the development of commercial and economic growth of shanghai. Shanghai targets to construct new civic plaza with a stunning performance hall administration and science museum building in future. Concert halls would enable exposure of local and foreign cultures, while the science will encourage the people of Shanghai to think for them and the administration building will increase the, “free thinking nature.” the building is expected to have a grey appearance in remembrance of the old Shanghai municipal council building near the Bund (Chow Web). The plodding stone is to symbolize the colonial government that is expected to rule for centaury. The red and gold seal of the expected building is to signify the Communist regime. And the whole building is expected to be completely reflective with gray glass. In summary, the history of shanghai marks dramatically changes to the lives of the Chinese and the people involved. The development of infrastructure in Shanghai is expected to improve in future. The economical development of shanghai is also believed that will increase with increase in number of years. However, it is evident that the population of shanghai is expected to increase due to the improvement and increasing of health facilities. The level of tourist attraction in Shanghai is expected to increase thereby increasing the level of foreign exchange. Works Cited Chow, G. C. Chinas Economic Transformation. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007. Print. Lagerkvist, Amanda. Media and memory in new Shanghai: Western performances of futures past, 2013. Liu, Wijun and Xiang Huang. Shanghai Urban Planning. Singapore: Thomson, 2007. Print. Pott, Hawks L. A Short History of Shanghai: Being an Account of the Growth and Development of the International Settlement. Shanghai: Kelly & Walsh, 1928. Print Song, Ligang and Wing T. Woo. Chinas Dilemma: Economic Growth, the Environment and Climate Change. Canberra: Anu E Press, 2008. Internet resource. Taylor, Albion. In focus of 26 years of growth: Shanghai then and now. The Atlantic.2013 Read More