GEORGE NIENHUIS writes:
We started today by meeting Xhingyu (our tour guide) in the French Concession of Shanghai. This was an area set aside for the French community in the mid 1800s by the imperial Qing court. This area was set aside for the French community as they pressed for the same generous rights which the British had gained in 1843 following the aftermath of the First Opium War. While the French Concession as it stands today is almost completely refurbished, and is more of a tourist site than an area of undisturbed historical structures, the low-rise buildings, narrow streets, and closely planted trees communicate a strong sense of French colonial-era town planning.
Following the visit to the French Concession we walked through a traditional middle-class “Lo-tai” neighborhood of Shanghai. The neighborhood provided an interesting contrast to the newer, more modernized architecture of Shanghai, and contained a number of French and European architectural characteristics. The alleyways between neighboring houses were narrow, telephone and electrical wires were low to the ground, and houses were often wall to wall although technically unconnected. Not only was the architecture and configuration of the neighborhood intriguing, but the approach to living taken by the residents of the neighborhood was as well. It seemed the difference between personal and public space in these neighborhoods was nearly nonexistent. Windows and doors were left unlocked and wide open, cooking was done near the alleyways, and on one particular occasion, we even witnessed a woman washing her hair on the street. As such, it was not only the close placement of the houses adjacent to one another which diminished the boundaries of privacy, but the unabashed ideologies of residents themselves, residents who refused to isolate themselves in their homes and who would rather branch out as a means to connect with their neighbors.
After the visit to the traditional Shanghailese middle-class neighborhood, we broke for a short lunch of dumplings and attended a presentation on the 2010 World Expo Center by the chief architect of the project himself. The presentation was extremely interesting, as it focused not only on the architectural plan for the World Expo Center, but the Shanghai ideology surrounding the approach to building and designing of the various venues. As with much of Shanghai, many of the World Expo Center’s venues will be renovations of existing structures, or completely new structures taking the place of old ones. This follows suit of much of Shanghai’s architectural history in the sense that old structures (many of which may contain historical value) are either razed or completely redesigned in order to accommodate for the coming of the new wave of architecture and technology.
Even as the chief architect spoke of designing and implementing the newer structures, he noted that an entire two thirds of the venues designed specifically for the 2010 World Expo will be removed following the event, specifically stating that “the space cannot remain as an Expo forever.” This approach to construction and refurbishment is characteristic of the Shanghai approach to such a matter, and has been seen throughout much of Shanghai’s recent and not so recent history.
After the presentation we briefly attended a gallery opening at Bizart composed of experimental video installations, and went out as a group for dinner at a local hotpot restaurant. The food at the hotpot restaurant was excellent, and was a great sort of “bonding” experience for our group, as we were forced to share our food, and eat communally as opposed to individually. In addition to the companionship brought about by the dinner, the food was pungent with flavor, and you were almost certain to fish out something spectacular from the steaming pot of broth, vegetables, tofu, and meat each and every time your reached for replenishment. Today was full of great experiences, and dinner was a perfect ending to the already wonderful evening.
George Nienhuis is a sophomore in the film & video department.
