Cultural cross-pollination makes Shanghai what it is
- By Pan Guang
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Shanghai Daily, November 11, 2011
Thanks to historical global links and closer overseas connections since market reforms, Shanghai's culture is influential again. Its larger global presence is manifested in three ways.
First, the growing voice of Shanghai sub-culture within the overseas Chinese culture.
For a long time, Guangdong, Fujian and Wenzhou cultures were dominant among Chinese emigrants. One had to speak Cantonese if he or she was to survive in New York's Chinatown. However, in recent years titse are more speakers of Shanghai dialect in overseas chapters of Chinese associations. In some new ethnic Chinese communities abroad, like the "Shanghai district" in Budapest and "Shanghai street" in Sydney, Shanghainese has become the lingua franca.
Second, Russians, Koreans, Japanese, Indians and Vietnamese all left their marks on the city's modern chapter. Now Shanghai is reinvigorating its bonds with neighboring regions through foreign visits of its art troupes, investment projects and "sister city" pacts.
For instance, Shanghai's massive property development project of the "Baltic Pearl" in St Petersburg has amazed not just Russia but all of Europe. The increasing number of students, businessmen, artists and tourists coming to Shanghai is also evidence of its cultural allure.
Third, old Shanghai's exotic Oriental charms once appealed to Western cities like New York, London, Paris and Los Angeles. Today, its rapidly changing landscape and growing expat community have again riveted foreign interest in Shanghai.
This is most obvious in events like "Shanghai Cultural Week" held regularly in the West as a window on its economy, culture and history. Collectibles from old Shanghai, such as cigarette packs featuring pictures of attractive women (changing each month) are in vogue abroad.
Novels set in pre-1949 Shanghai by writers Chang Eileen and Wang Anyi, and the films based on them, are now immensely popular.
The author is an expert on Jewish studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. This is the first of a two-part article adapted from his speech at the 10th Shanghai Culture Symposium held on November 5. Shanghai Daily reporter Ni Tao translated his speech from the Chinese.
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