I was in Shanghai last summer, and I was incredibly pleased to find that vast stretches of the former International Settlement and French Quarter are still intact. Indeed, many of the villas and houses are now offices or pubs and bars. I just hope that the Chinese authorities come to realize that as more and more tourists travel to Shanghai from Europe as China becomes a more affordable destination they will realize that many westerners are interested in the history of Shanghai, and no matter how appealing Pudong may be of the ‘new China’ they will be missing a fantastic tourist opportunity should they bulldoze the buildings and environments of the Edwardian and 1920s periods. The Bund is all very well, but look at what lies behind it! An architectural goldmine, and a good earner for the Shanghai economy. We don’t want every city in Asia to look like America!
1 Comments
I was in Shanghai last summer, and I was incredibly pleased to find that vast stretches of the former International Settlement and French Quarter are still intact. Indeed, many of the villas and houses are now offices or pubs and bars. I just hope that the Chinese authorities come to realize that as more and more tourists travel to Shanghai from Europe as China becomes a more affordable destination they will realize that many westerners are interested in the history of Shanghai, and no matter how appealing Pudong may be of the ‘new China’ they will be missing a fantastic tourist opportunity should they bulldoze the buildings and environments of the Edwardian and 1920s periods. The Bund is all very well, but look at what lies behind it! An architectural goldmine, and a good earner for the Shanghai economy. We don’t want every city in Asia to look like America!