Our last couple of days in China were spent in Shanghai. With a population of 30 million it is China’s most populous city and the fifth largest in the world. Originally a fishing village, it grew to global prominence in the 19th century. The city was one of five treaty ports forced to open to trade with the Europeans after the British victory in the First Opium War of 1842. An event which marked the start of “The century of humiliation” in China. Shanghai had an ideal port location which encouraged foreign trade and supported the city to become a major commercial and financial hub in Asia by 1930. In WW2 Shanghai was overrun by the Japanese. Then came the Chinese Civil War. Shanghai and most of the mainland was liberated by the communists in 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was established and the century of humiliation ended.
The concept of a Century of Humiliation and the vulnerability of China during this period of foreign imperialism has now become a central doctrine of Chinese politics. The contemporary patriotic education uses this concept to reinforce political legitimacy and promote vigilance against perceived external threats. Modern students may know little about the Tiananmen Square massacre but they are clear on a hundred years of unresolved historical injustices. In foreign policy, references to the Century of Humiliation frequently appear in discussions of China’s territorial claims and diplomatic posture. Resolving these “historical problems” is often depicted as essential to completing national rejuvenation. The narrative is applied to the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Sino-Indian border including Tibet and Taiwan. Officials frame Chinese unification as part of the same historical process of overcoming national fragmentation and foreign interference. China still has a big axe to grind.
With all this in mind, we went off to do a little shopping. Nanjing Road is often described as one of the world’s busiest shopping streets. Of course it is busy – it is in China. It is also described as a vibrant blend of modern retail and historic architecture. What this really means is shops in old buildings. Unfortunately, Diane and I are not particularly good at shopping. The notion of shopping as a leisure activity makes little sense to us at all. The crowds were truly horrendous and this made the whole experience daunting and unpleasant. Before long we were back where we started on the Bund.
The Bund is a waterfront area and a protected historical district. It is a couple of kilometres long on the banks of the River Huangpu. Across the river are the modern skyscrapers and buildings of the financial and business sectors. The Bund includes many classic buildings with European influence. Back in the 1860s through to the 1930s, this was the rich and powerful centre of foreign establishment in Shanghai. European influence in the building styles include Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical, Romanesque, Art Deco and Renaissance architecture.
As always, security is tight. Everywhere you look there are security cameras. Hundreds of them. Yet again, I wondered about where all those video feeds end up and who is watching them. I waved at a few of the cameras but nothing happened.
The river is an important commercial waterway. The Port of Shanghai is the world’s busiest container port. A non-stop procession of commercial vessels were making their way up and down stream. Their rusty hulls made an odd counterpoint to the gleaming, shiny buildings across the water.
We wandered up and down the riverbank. To be honest, we were just killing time. There was a little bit of interest but after a few minutes this had worn off. We were just standing around in the midst of great crowds of people and wondering why. We watched weddings for a good twenty minutes. Every five minutes a new bride, groom and entourage would emerge from large, dark, hotel building across the road. There would be photographs and then they would wander off down the road, still taking photographs and ultimately disappear into the traffic.
Eventually, the coach arrived and we were ferried off to the French Quarter. This was every bit as crowded as the Bund. I had long since passed the point of excess shopping. There was nothing we wanted to buy. Why would we go shopping? Why do people enjoy looking in shops when they do not want to buy anything? My mind was dulled and my sense of hopelessness deepened as I wrestled with these oppressive concepts. Simultaneously I was filled with a dread sense of crushing boredom. This led to me daydreaming about what the reaction would be if people suddenly started floating off into the air. If gravity could no longer be bothered with the most ardent of shoppers and lost interest in them. A few people off each street just drifting upwards. Would they try and grab at passing skyscrapers? Might one of the rare remaining birds try to hitch a lift? Would they consider dropping their precious shopping? Fortunately, my remaining brain cells were saved by the appearance of the coach and our ticket out of here.
That was the official end of the tour. We stayed in Shanghai two more days. I spent most of that time working on this blog and doing a few other, rather ordinary, organisational things. We continued to struggle to find places to eat. China is not a good place for vegetarians. The weather remained hot and oppressive so there was nothing much to encourage us outside. Then, along with Bruce and Anita, we flew to Nagasaki, Japan. Here we were going to do another trip, also organised by Wendy Wu and I was really hoping it would be a little more enjoyable.