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Urban Development History of Shanghai, China
[Introduction] [Part II: Concession; Foreign Settlement] [Part III: Great Shanghai Scheme]
[Part IV: After Liberation] [Part V: Culture of Longtang] [Part VI: Problems and Opportunities]
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[Feudal Governance] [County Seat]
After the town of Shanghai was established in South Song Dynasty, in 1292, Yuan Dynasty established the first county government in Shanghai, and in 1553 Shanghai built a nine “Li” (about 4.5 kilometers) long city wall around the county seat to prevent constant assault from Japanese pirates, which made shanghai become a real China traditional city. As a part of the centralized feudal government system of the Empire, administrative system in Shanghai is the same as that of other parts in China. Although there were several administrative units in the county government, the head of the county was the highest governor and dictator. So the government obtained all the characters of the feudality:
1. As one cell of the enormous feudal empire government, it had to totally obey the orders and policies from the central government no matter these policies or orders would hinder local social and economical development.
2. Establishments of government department were too simple to administrate local affairs effectively.
3. Governor dictated all the local affairs.
4. Established academic institutes to study “Yin and yang”, ”Buddhism” and “Daojiao”.
5. Built altars for fiesta and important activities.
Because of its feudal characteristics the county government was simplistic, ineffective, indiscreet and autarchic. Along with the collapsing of Qing Empire, the local government became more inefficient and corrupt, and couldn’t keep up with the city development boom in Shanghai in the late 19th century.
Shi
Liu Port Before Opium War
This
drawing copied by Shiting Cao, shows the prosperous scene in Shanghai during
1830s.
Source: SURVEY OF SHANGHAI 1840-1940
The area of county seat was about two square kilometers, surrounded by a nine “Li” (about 4.5 Km) city wall. The city wall was about eight meters high. There were ten city gates on the ground and three sluice gates. These city gates were “opening at dawn and closing at dusk”. After the establishment of the foreign settlement district, the city gates closing time was changed to midnight. At that time there were many rivers, which played a very important role in citizens’ daily life, running across the city. But in the late 19th century, the existence of these rivers brought many traffic and sanitation problems in the city. So, after 1906, local government began to impolder these rivers and pave road on them. The streets in the city were only two meters wide at that time. It was difficult for people to walk through in the market days. For the growth of the population, the open space in the city shrunk quickly and the traffic and sanitary conditions in the city became worse. Realizing these environmental problems, the governor and aristocrats in the city began to pave new roads, impolder more rivers and built more street facilities to improve the citizens’ living conditions.
Another major city development policy was to demolish the city wall, which had protected the city and also restricted the city for a long time. The demolition of city wall also demolished the boundary between Chinese and Western people who were living in the foreign settlement districts on the other side of the city wall and turned Shanghai into an international metropolis in the Far East. But in writer’s opinion, there should be a better way that not only can develop the city but also can preserve the heritage, such as a city wall. After the early of 20th century, from the end of Qing Dynasty, Republic of China to People’s Republic of China, the demolition of city wall was so prevailing that we can hardly find any integral city wall in modern China, except the city wall of Xian. The most infamous demolition was in 1950s: the demolition of Beijing city wall, which had been the most beautiful and best-preserved city wall in human being’s urban development history.
Baodai
City Gate before Xinghai Revolution
Source:
SURVEY OF SHANGHAI 1840-1940
Fuming
Road Traditional Chinese Street View in 1920s
Source:
SURVEY OF SHANGHAI 1840-1940
Yu Yuang, a famous Chinese Garden in Shanghai
Source: SURVEY OF SHANGHAI 1840-1940
[Introduction] [Part II: Concession; Foreign Settlement] [Part III: Great Shanghai Scheme]
[Part IV: After Liberation] [Part V: Culture of Longtang] [Part VI: Problems and Opportunities]