Articles exploring Shanghai’s history, customs, and everyday culture, offering context that helps the city make sense beyond the surface.
Shanghai’s culture is shaped by centuries of trade, migration, and rapid change. This section provides historical and cultural context that helps everyday experiences make more sense.
Rather than academic deep dives, these articles aim to be readable, practical, and directly relevant to what you see on the streets today.
Discover how foreign powers controlled parts of Shanghai from 1845-1943. Explore the history, daily life, and lasting legacy of the Shanghai foreign concessions that shaped modern China.
VangelisJanuary 15
Discover how Shanghai intellectuals and writers like Lu Xun and Eileen Chang transformed Chinese literature through revolutionary approaches, creating a lasting literary legacy that bridges East and West.
VangelisNovember 20
Discover the fascinating history of Shanghai's treaty port era. Learn about foreign concessions, daily life, architecture, and how this period shaped modern Shanghai. Includes interactive timeline, maps, and expert resources.
VangelisNovember 20
Discover the magic of twenties era Shanghai — the glamorous nightlife, stunning fashion, jazz clubs, and the fascinating blend of East meets West that made it the Paris of the East.
VangelisNovember 20