Historic Shanghai

Shanghai's rich heritage: historic architecture, social & cultural history since 1842. Connecting people with Shanghai since 1998.

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

Daytripping to an ancient Shanghai town where layers of history converge on Saturday; exploring Chinese New Year traditions and temples on Sunday.

https://t.co/Vvu9p0AX5J

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

On the eve of India’s Republic Day, Historic Shanghai and Indian CG in Shanghai @PratikMathur1 curated an “Indians in Old Shanghai” walk, a deep dive into the contributions and characters of India in Old Shanghai.

[India In Shanghai @IndiaInShanghai]

Celebrating our great Republic! 🇮🇳☀️

#VasudhaivaKutumbakam 🌎🪷

In the lead upto our 77th Republic Day celebrations, CG @PratikMathur1 together with the leading Historical Society of China @HistoricSH curated a “Indians in Shanghai” event for Friends of India from the diaspora, local community & diplomatic and consular corps, including colleagues from the BRICS New Development Bank in Shanghai, to showcase the rich history of the Indian community in the region. The key highlights:

��️ Leading historians Mr. Patrick Cranley and Ms. Tina Kanagaratnam explained to participants the rich history of landmarks such as the BUND, the word itself derived from Hindi language and its meaning and origins rooted in old maritime links.

➡️ The interactions during the event also featured details of the the Shanghai Gurdwara, built in 1908. During the Second World War, the Sikh community of Shanghai had volunteered to give the building to the Indian National Army (INA - Azad Hind Fauj) for its use. #Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose visited this training camp, in the city in 1944.

➡️ Jo Bole So Nihaal! 👳🏾‍♂️👳🏾‍♂️The event also featured descriptions of the brave Sikh warriors from the Indian army and the Ghadar party and visit to the struggle sites where they persevered in the face of tremendous odds to spread the message of independence and freedom.

➡️ Amar Sonar Bangla 👵🗣️The gathering also paid tribute to #Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore who visited Shanghai multiple times and whose immortal works heralding our rich civilizational heritage continue to inspire us today.

➡️ The links fostered by trading, business and shipping companies including banks such as Tatas and Hong Kong and Shanghai International Bank were also cited and showcased to underline the age old link the city enjoys with India. 🌆

➡️ The visitors also had an opportunity to visit sites and places of interest linked with Azad Hind Fauj, Parsee and Dawoodi Bohra Communities and the Sephardic Jewish community who trace their roots to Gujarat and other parts of Western India such as Mumbai.

➡️ A brief video showing the family history of several such families and inspirational figures from city archives was also released on the occasion.

➡️ Consul General while felicitating the organizers and historians, underlined the significance of Indian community’s cultural heritage and paid tribute to the rich contributions that 🇮🇳’s soft power has made to humanity and the Founding of our great Republic. 🫡

Jai Hind Jai Bharat 🇮🇳

@indiandiplomacy @indiandiplomats @TMK_TinaManiK @AsiaMediaPR

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

Book via link in bio: https://t.co/cmb55B49q0

[China in Pictures @tongbingxue]

The Longhua Pagoda, Shanghai, 1905.
First built during the Three Kingdoms period (East Wu), but the existing tower structure was built during the Northern Song dynasty.
The seven-story octagonal pagoda stands over 40 meters, it was a major tourist attraction for visitors in the days of old Shanghai.

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

Celebrating Michael Blumenthal��s 100tj birthday with a walk through his life!
His Shanghai story: https://t.co/hKuTni9bih

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

2026 reading list. Because Shanghai is too complicated to be understood by the naked eye. It needs to be read.

https://t.co/7NTpomvB2q

[MOFBA • Advertising History in China @MOFBACN]

A rare, late 19th century panorama of the Shanghai Bund riverfront with French annotations.

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

A New Year’s Day walk through the Shanghai of a century ago. January 1, 2pm!

Book here: https://t.co/cmb55B49q0

[MOFBA • Advertising History in China @MOFBACN]

A stunning nighttime view of the Christmas Market on Yuan Ming Yuan Road along the Bund in Shanghai, China. The Union Church dominates the foreground, while the former British Consulate appears at center left. Lining the street is a remarkable sequence of historic buildings, including the Capitol Theatre Building, the China Baptist Building and the Christian Literature Building - both designed by László Hudec, the Ampire & Co. office building and the Lyceum Building, which once housed, among others, the Kodak China headquarters.

[Shanghai Art Deco @ShanghaiArtDeco]

Christmassy Cathay.

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

The exterior of Pagoda Paris, sadly closed when we visited in October. But still a thrill to see in person!

[China in Pictures @tongbingxue]

Interior of  "Pagoda Paris", a townhouse in the 8th Arrondissement, 1930s, the gallery and home of C. T. Loo, a well-known and controversial dealer of Chinese art and artifacts for the first half of the 20th century.

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

Really cool!

[MOFBA • Advertising History in China @MOFBACN]

The only known original color (!) footage of Old Shanghai's neon advertisements in 1939. From the 8mm camera of Colonel Harvey S. Walseth, US Marine Corps.

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

Santas on historic Shanghai buildings: an old Shanghai Municipal Council police building, later used as a laogai (“reform through labor”), and now part of Shang Kang Li, lane neighborhood turned mall. Quite a history! 🎅

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

@MOFBACN Sadly that one’s all covered up now. There were a few uncovered in that block!

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

Nice to see our Emily remembered in the New Yorker last week: https://t.co/0V5abU31el

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

Normandie ice cream: soft power for historic architecture. 1924, Laszlo Hudec for R.A. Curry.

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

No better time than Dr. Sun’s birthday to revisit the story of his birthday statue in Shanghai, erected in 1933. It’s a story with twists and turns, for such were the times.

Read on: https://t.co/sjOBRY9f5K

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

Remembrance Day Shanghai, a century ago. Whatever happened to the Angel of Peace?

Here’s the story, by the great Shanghai historian Robert Bickers: https://t.co/wc1hoMROr7

Lest we forget.

[Historic Shanghai @HistoricSH]

The tourist boats on the Suzhou Creek sent us down a small rabbit hole on the Shanghai sedan … join us!

To read: https://t.co/hKwpZsVCrF

[China in Pictures @tongbingxue]

"Welcome Victorious Allied Navy": festive temporary arch across Nanking Road, Shanghai, 1945.