Preface
History is both the best textbook and humanitys greatest teacher. General Secretary Xi Jinping once stressed: Valuing, studying, and learning from history can offer valuable wisdom to help humanity better understand the past, grasp the present, and shape the future.
Compiling local chronicles has long been a cherished cultural tradition of the Chinese nation. These chronicles document the natural, political, economic, cultural, and social history and current state of administrative regions, serving as the most comprehensive and systematic historical records of Chinese civilization spanning thousands of years. In recent years, while undertaking the immense task of compiling the second round of Shanghais local chronicles, the Shanghai Local Chronicles Office has actively explored various ways to fulfill the functions of preserving history, educating the public, and facilitating policymaking, promoting the citys history, telling Shanghais stories, and showcasing the citys brilliance.
Since 2016, Shanghai Local Chronicles Office and its affiliated Shanghai Local Chronicles Library have launched the Six Thousand Years of Shanghai Series project for the general public. In 2018, the three-volume Six Thousand Years of Shanghai was released. Building on this momentum, five additional titles followed in 2019: Shanghai Origins: How a City of Rich Variety Arises, Huangpu River in the Turn of the Tide, Suzhou Creek in the Waves of History, Old City Where East Meets West, and Old Towns: Discovering Jiangnan Culture in Shanghai. In 2020, another five volumes were introduced: Xintiandi: A Perfect Blend of Tradition and Modernity, Jingan Temple: Ancient Rhymes in the New Era, Peoples Square: The Zero Point of Shanghai, Xujiahui: An Encounter Between East and West, and Lujiazui: A Brilliant Pearl.
Leveraging the historical authenticity of official chronicles, this popular series employs the approach of renowned scholars writing for the public, inviting a group of highly respected experts to recount Shanghais stories. These scholars, known for their profound knowledge and engaging writing, transform complex historical narratives and geography into clear, accessible, and captivating reads.
Readers will encounter the glorious history of the Communist Party of China (CPC). In Xintiandi: A Perfect Blend of Tradition and Modernity, Party history expert Xu Guangshou recounts the founding of the CPC in Shanghai in compelling detail: In the autumn of 1920, not long after the shikumen houses on Wangzhi Road in the French Concession were completed, Li Hanjun and his brother Li Shucheng moved in ... From July 23 to 30, 1921, the six meetings of the Partys First National Congress were held here.The book precisely informs readers of the time and location of this historic event.
Youll also find accounts of the splendid history of New China. In Xujiahui: An Encounter Between East and West, city historian Su Zhiliang vividly describes the transformation of Shanghai before and after its liberation. For instance, he recounts how the once foul-smelling Zhaojiabang Creek, lined with makeshift huts and plagued by epidemics, was filled in and turned into a wide thoroughfare in 1954. Over 1,700 families were relocated into new housing, and what was once a
remote rural area filled with farmland evolved over decades especially after reform and opening up into the bustling Xujiahui commercial district, teeming with skyscrapers and busy streets. In October 2012, Xujiahui Origin was officially designated as a national 4A-level tourist attraction, the first commercial center in China to receive such a title.
In Jingan Temple: Ancient Rhymes in the New Era, scholar Xu Tao tells the story of the China Welfare Institute Childrens Palace and its careful nurturing of childrens growth. The former private residence of Sir Kadoorie on West Yanan Road, built entirely of marble and known as the Marble Mansion, was converted into Chinas first childrens palace on June 1, 1953, under the leadership of Madame Soong Ching Ling, then Vice President of the Central Peoples Government. By 2018, the Childrens Palace had provided diverse activities for over 27 million children and training and practical opportunities for more than 400,000 Shanghai students. It has also welcomed over 200,000 domestic and international visitors. Many notable figures, such as painter Chen Yifei and writer Lu Xinger, were once students there.
This series also lets you experience the surging tides of reform and opening up along both banks of the Huangpu River. The dramatic transformation of Pudong over the past 30 years serves as a vivid example. Decades of dedicated reform efforts have turned Lujiazui into a dense cluster of skyscrapers, including the Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Shanghai Tower, while attracting major Chinese and international banks and financial institutions, establishing it as Shanghais International Financial Center. In Lujiazui: A Brilliant Pearl, financial historians Xing Jianrong and Shi Wen write: Today, when we ascend the worlds highest 360-degree observation deck in just 55 seconds, from the first to the 118th floor, we truly feel the grandeur of standing at the summit and seeing all mountains dwarfed. The dense high-rises of Lujiazui embody the vitality and dynamism of Chinas reform and opening up.
Reform and opening up is a pivotal chapter in the history of socialist development in China. Shanghais particularly Pudongs pioneering experience strongly validates Deng Xiaopings assertion that poverty is not socialism.
This series also gives insights into the rapid development of socialist China over the past decades. In Peoples Square: The Zero Point of Shanghai, historians Xiong Yuezhi and Yan Binlin tell readers how this geographical epicenter of Shanghai transformed originally from a race club. In 1950, the city government closed the elite Shanghai Race Club and decidedto earmark the grounds as a place for all people to enjoy. Chen Yi, the first mayor of Shanghai, wrote the inscription Peoples Park when it was officially opened, which was a symbol of new beginnings for modern Shanghai, Xiong and Yan assert.
Learning from history helps us discern gains and losses. This popular local chronicles series uses specific stories to reflect broader trends, intertwining historical facts and insightful commentary, aiming to provide an authentic, accurate, and vivid account of Shanghais development. It allows readers to better understand the citys past, present, and future. For this reason, I sincerely recommend this series to everyone especially to our youth. I believe that by reading these books, we can deepen our love for our country, our city, and our hometown, while reinforcing our conviction that upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China, pursuing the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and advancing reform and opening up is the inevitable choice of history.

Wang Ronghua
Vice Chairman, 10th CPPCC Shanghai Committee
Specialist Member, National Textbook Committee
Director, Shanghai Education Development Foundation