After “Le music-hall des espions“, Bruno Birolli published the second book of the Shanghai suite, “Les terres du mal”. Taking place a few years later than the first book of the series, this episode takes us again in 1930s Shanghai between gangsters and Shanghai inhabitants, both foreign and Chinese.
Book cover, les terres du mal
Main characters René Desfossés comes back, not in the French police anymore, but working for a large company. Archibald Swindon is also back, now in the role of heading the British secret service in Shanghai, mainly looking for communists agents. They find themselves tackling crime again, playing between the International Settlement and the French concession. A new character is introduced with communist agent “Hannah”. The book focuses a lot on movie studios and actress in Old Shanghai, with several characters inspired real characters like star “Lingyu” from Old Shanghai actress Ruan Lingyu / 阮玲玉 and aspiring actress Lan Ping who ends up leaving Shanghai to join communists rebels in Yan’An, inspired by Mao Zedong’s wife Jiang Qing / 江青.
Just like the first one, Birolli’s book includes a lot of details about Old Shanghai proving is in-depth knowledge of the topic. The story is very well documented, with characters inspired by real life people of the time. However, it is less interesting than in the first book, and a little too predictable. It is a fair read for all Shanghai lovers, but may not be so interesting for people unfamiliar with the topic. “Les terres du mal” is published in French only.
Art Deco has been on the rise in the last 10 years, since I wrote post Art Deco in France. It has been the center of several major exhibition like “1925 When Art Deco dazzle the World” in Paris in 2014. Art Deco in China has also gained a lot of attention particular through Laszlo Hudec work as well as 2015 Word Congress on Art Deco in Shanghai. The link between Art Deco in France and China was shown in the small but beautiful “Art Deco, The French China connection” in Hong Kong in 2019. Now a new exhibition of showcasing Art Deco in Paris and Shanghai has opened in Shanghai. Showing many rare pieces, it is definitely worth a visit.
Located in the former British Consulate on the Bund, it matches this is a great location. The main theme of the exhibition is the strong link between art and craft in the 1920s and the 1930s, the art deco era. The tour de force was to bring pieces from Paris museum and show it along rarely seen pieces of Shanghai art deco. Art deco was a global style of art and craft, but it also had it own local variations.
Paris art deco wind screen, influenced by China
The exhibition also highlights the way art and craft in 1920s and 1930s influenced each other. Modern Shanghai was used a lot of western references, but Art deco in Europe was also heavily influenced by Asia and China. The exhibition success is to make this visible.
The exhibition tour de force is to show numerous Shanghai art deco pieces, furniture, lights, cloths and advertising posters. It is very diverse, showing the width and variety of Shanghai art deco production. It also shows rarely scene pieces including real old Shanghai Qipaos and wonderful dragon carpets reminding of the cover of Tintin’s Blue Lotus. It also adds movies including the ones of Ruan Lingyu / 阮玲玉 and literature including 1930s Shanghai author like Mu ShiYing / 穆時英 and Shi Zhecun / 施蛰存.
The exhibition is located at Bund 33 and will last until February 16th 2025. Tickets are 150 RMB for person, 200 RMB for 2 people. It is a must go for anybody interested in Shanghai history and art deco lovers.
French polish author Horose (aka Stéphanie Rosen-Hoa or 羅琛華) lived in Beijing with her Chinese husband Hua Nangui / 华南圭 from 1910 to 1937. The couple had a rich cultural life, both of them publishing books that became highly influential in China. While Hua Nangui published books helping develop and implement technology in China, Horose wrote numerous novel focused on observation of changes in the Chinese society at the time. (see post “The story of Horose or S. Rosen-Hoa” for more details about her story).
As a writer couple in Beijing, they had a large circle of literary friends. They were definitely supportive and involved in the nationalist and literary movement that became known as the May 4th movement and had links with some of its prime members.
Students demonstrating in Beijing on May 4th 1919
Horose main book was “Love and duty“, also known as “恋爱与义务”. The novel was written in French, and translated into Chinese by Zhao Zun Xin / 赵祖欣. Later welknown as Zhao Shaohou / 赵少侯, he graduated from the French department of Beijing University in 1919. He was a teacher and director of the Literature and Art Department of Sino-French University, a lecturer of the French Department of Peking University, and an editor of the People’s Literature Publishing House. He began to publish his works in 1932. His translation of Moli`ere’s “The Hypocrite” (Tartuffe), “The Misanthrope” (Le misanthrope) and “The Miser” (L’avare) are still authoritative today. He also was a major translator of Maupassant’s “Boule de Suif”, and “The Necklace” (La parure). As “Love and duty” was published in 1921, it was probably one of his first French book translation.
Cai Yuanpei / 蔡元培
Foreword for the book version of “Love and Duty” was written by Chinese philosopher and politician Cai YuanPei / 蔡元培. Having studied in Leipzig University until 1907, he became minister of Education in 1912 then President of Beijing University in 1917. Supporter of usage of common language or “Baihua” in litterature, he was an inspiration for the May 4th movement.
Finally, the proof reader of the book was none else than famous Shanghainese writer Hu Shih / 胡适 who was also Chinese ambassador to the US. He also advocated the usage of “Baihua” in litterature and was an inspirer for the May 4th movement.
Hu Shih / 胡适
Although difficult to prove, it can be assumed that Horose organized a cultural and literary salon at her home in Beijing. This kind of salon was very common in Jewish communities in Central Europe and Horose being originally from Poland surely had heard or seen some. This is somewhat similar to Hungarian Jewish Bernardine Szold Fritz , whose salon that took place in Shanghai in the 1930s (see post Bernardine’s Shanghai Salon).
Bernardine Szold Fritz also had connection with Chinese cultural and literary people, in particular with writer 胡适 / Hu Shih who did proofreading for Horose’s “Love and duty” . Maybe they met through him, maybe Horose even took part to Bernardine’s salon during one of her many trips to Shanghai (see post “Horose in Shanghai” for more details). In any case, both women were central to cultural life, one in Shanghai, the other one in Beijing.
Shanghai district of Jiading, located miles away from Old Shanghai in what used to be faraway farm land, is an unlikely visit for an Old Shanghai lover. However, it is worth the trip, showing interesting pieces of old automotive and documents about Shanghai history and its relationship with cars.
Old Shanghai was a super modern city, new inventions like electric lighting, tramways and skyscrapers were introduced soon after they became available. This was the case for cars, with the first automobiles introduced in Shanghai in 1901. By the 1920s cars were everywhere in Shanghai. They were a status symbol as well as used by various institutions and administrations. Cars in Shanghai were imported from abroad, mostly US, UK, France and Japan. Cars from the period are long gone in Shanghai, but the museum displays a number of collection car imported from abroad that are a match for the time.
1927 Cadillac Lasalle
1930 Ford Auburn
This reminded me that a few years ago, a classic car show was taking place in Shanghai. Unfortunately, none of those cars are allowed to ride on Shanghai streets. That would be a great sight to have some of them driving the streets of the former French Concession. The only substitute for a while was driving a sidecar, although this is also not allowed anymore either.
The museum also displays a number of documents and old ads about cars from the 1920s and 1930s. This is only a small part of the museum, but I spent quite a while there, finding out that I have some pieces that could very well fit into this section.
What was probably missing was more pictures of those cars in Old Shanghai, just to show that those cars were in Shanghai, and not only in America and Europe. A good example is above picture of super star actress Hudie. Another small section could have been devoted to car dealership and petrol statinos in Old Shanghai. That would also have shown a stronger links between those beauties and Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s. In any case, it was definitely worth the trip.
The Shanghai Auto Museum is located a 7565 Boyuan Rd, Jiading District, Shanghai, China, 215332. It is located in the same area as the Shanghai Formula 1 race track.
After having looked into the Ruan Lingyu movie “Love and duty“, I discovered that the movie was made from a book also called “Love and duty” written first in French by a French-Polish author living in Beijing, and then translated into Chinese. (See post “The story of Horose or Stephanie Rosen-Hoa” for more details). While Horose was mostly living in Beijing, and sometimes Paris, this article focuses on her relationship with Shanghai.
The book “Love and duty“, by Horose or Stéphanie Rosen-Hoa was a bestseller in China. It was first published as a 8 parts series in the literary magazine of Shanghai based Commercial press 小说世界 (The World of novels) in 1921 with 羅琛華 as the author. Commercial Press then published a book version as “恋爱与义务” in 1924, which was a great success. The English version was also published by Commercial Press in 1926 (for more details, see post: “Love & duty, the book“).
During all that time, Stéphanie Rosen-Hoa was living in Beijing with her husband Hua Nangui / 华南圭 who was originally from Wuxi and her two children. Hua Nangui designed and built their house in Beijing in 1914, using a combination of Chinese and Western style.
Picture of Horose in from of her family house in Beijing, curtesy of Catherine Hoa.
Commercial Press was headquartered in Shanghai, so she must have to down South from Beijing to negotiate the publication of her books. At that time, trips from Beijing to Shanghai took either the boat from Tianjin harbour, or the Peking Express. Although there are no real traces from those travels, one can assume that Horose would come to Shanghai once or twice a year.
Below picture is an advertising for Commercial Press books, published in JB Powell’s China Weekly Review on 12th Feb 1927. One can assume that the books listed were the best sellers of Commercial Press at the time. It is amazing to see Love and Duty juste next to Lu Xun’s “The true story of Ah Q”, of which English translation was published in 1927.
Ad in the China Weekly Review – 12th Feb 1927
As mentioned by Kristine Harris in her article : “Ombres Chinoises, split screens and parallel lives in Love and Duty”, “By 1930, the novel had gained broader name recognition among urban audiences, the Commercial Press had already issued three impressions of the English version and four of the Chinese version.” Lou Mingyou, the future director of the movie, read the book and contacted the author. Horose was hired as a consultant for the movie that was released in 1931. During that time, she probably spent much more time in Shanghai, as the movie studio were located in the city. I did not find traces of contacts between Horose and the French community. Probably they were few, with the French community kept away by the language barrier from the Chinese and English literary success that was Love & Duty, as well as lack of interest into “Chinese things” from the French community in general.
The only link with the French Concession that I found is that most of the outdoor sets for the movie Love and Duty where located in the French Concession. They were all located around freshly built properties of the FONCIM (Société Foncière et Immobilière), the real estate subsidiary of the French run International Saving Society, the highly successful life insurance company headquartered in Shanghai. Although it may be random, one can also assume that Horose got somehow in touch with FONCIM management to use those locations and feature them in the movie.
As Horose fame grew in China, she started to give talks that were advertised. A few of them were mentioned in the Shanghai English press. The North China Daily news in the 10th December 1933 edition published a short article mentioning that Horose was in Shanghai on that date, presenting her new book “Double Chains” in Chinese. It also mentions that “she is later to collect material in Nanking for another book. This is expected to be called “Through the Great Wall” and will be published in Paris.” That book was actually published under the name “La muraille de Pékin `a Paris”, in 1929 in Paris.
Double Chains by Horose, Chinese edition
The last article found was published in the China Press, on 2nd June 1936. It mentions the conference given by “Mme Kuai”, further named as “Mme L Rosen-Hoa Nan Kuai” to the WCTU (Women Christian Temperance Union). Horose is introduced as “the author of He & She, Double Chains, Love & duty and book of essays. Her husband who is an engineer translates them into Chinese.”
Horose went back to France in 1937 and only came back to China in 1966, before passing away in Beijing in 1970. For more details about her life, please go to post “The Story of Horose, or S. Rosen-Hoa“.
Route Paul Henry (today xinle lu / 新乐路) is a small but central street of the former French Concession. This part of the city was very much linked to Gangster Du Yue Shen (杜月笙) empire. His residence was built in 1934 at the beginning of the street and his today the Dong Hu hotel. Crime was definitely part of the life on Route Paul Henry then.
Du Yue Shen residence, today Dong Hu hotel
Further down the street on #82 at the corner with Route L Lorton (Xiang Yang Bei Lu / 襄阳北路) , another elegant building was also related to Du Yu Shen, the seat of the 3 fortunes company (三鑫公司). Started in 1925, the company was the association of three major gangsters of Shanghai, members of the Green Gang: Due Yue Shen/ 杜月笙, Huang Jinrong / 黄金荣 and Zhang Xiaolin / 张啸林. Prostitution, games, opium sales and other forms of gangsterism were its main source of revenue, making the three partners extremely wealthy. Crime paid very well then.
Former seat of the 3 fortunes company
The building style is a modernized version of beaux-arts, with Chinese features. The official website of the hotel claims that original architect was “famous French designer Rafael”, but I have not encountered this name before. Many features are similar with Du Yue Shen house up the street, so it is possible the same architect did both buildings.
Inside the Mansion Hotel (picture from the hotel website)
Around 2007, this beautiful building was turned into a hotel inspired by Shanghai history. The owner curated more than 300 old Shanghai artefacts, buying some from my antic dealers friends. It even features pictures from the actual Du Yue Sheng family. This became one of the most luxurious hotel of Shanghai, making one feel like a trip to old Shanghai just by getting into it. The renovation and decor was fantastic, and although it was probably mostly reconstructed, it just felt like the real thing.
Lot’s of antics were used to create the decor (picture from the hotel website).
The former owner who ordered this wonderful work died a few years ago. The hotel seems to have been closed for a while. Suddenly, construction started on the site in the late spring of this year (2024). I was fearing the worst and the worst came.
The outside has been pleasantly renovated, with an opening to the street that is making the beauty of the building visible. However, the inside has been totally gutted in this terrible ruinovation. Nothing of the former charm remains, just bare walls that could be in any shopping mall. I nearly fainted when I saw the result. Considering the quality of the previous renovation, this is not far from being a crime to Shanghai history. Old Shanghai lost one of its best place in this incredible move and no municipal protection came to the rescue… at least the building itself survives. Farewell to beautiful mansion hotel, welcome to another fashion store.
Unfortunately, ruinovation or destruction of some of the last bits of Old Shanghai seems to be on the rise. Destruction signs in the former Concessions have started to appear again without any consideration for historic heritage A street further up, the corner of Changle lu and Xiang Yang Lu is already walled up and waiting for destruction. One street further on Julu lu, another small part is also made ready to go.
While writing first post about Ruan Lingyu (阮玲玉) “Love and duty” movie, I received some information about a new biography of the movie star. Now already a year old, this short but intense book gives an in-depth understanding of the star career and life. At the same time, it brings a lot background information about cinema in Old Shanghai.
Ruan Lingyu was born in 1910 in Zhujiajiao, a Shanghai suburb, in a Cantonese family. She grew up in poverty. The family later moved to Pudong, where her father died in 1916. In similar way to some of Ruan Lingyu’s movies, her mother had to leave her under the care of an aunt to take a job in the city. Her fate changed when her mother was hired by a the Zhang family of wealthy Cantonese and could live on the premises. Thanks to their connection, she was able to get an education along with wealthy Cantonese at Chongde Girl School on Avenue Road (today Beijing Xi Lu). Her passion for the performing arts grew with time. While staying at the Zhang house, she got in a relationship with Zhang Damin, the spoiled son of the Zhang family who became addicted to gambling. As the Ruan Lingyu and her mother were later expelled from the house, she started to live together with Zhang Damin.
Her first movie was “Husband and wife in name” (1927). Chinese cinema was still less popular than foreign movies by then, and movie actress was not regarded as a good profession, but Ruan Lingyu got a start in her career from this movie. In 1928 White Cloud Pagoda, she played along upcoming star Hu Die and started to become famous. In the meantime, her gambling husband was loosing her money away.
Love and duty original poster
Her big move was to join the new Lian Hua movie company (United Photoplay in English). Movies like “Spring Dream in the old capital” (1930) and “Love and duty“(1931) were big success. Ruan Linguy’s career peaked with two master pieces, ‘The Godess”(1934) and “New Woman”(1935). At that time, she was a superstar. Unfortunately, this did not solve her personal issues and she committed suicide in 1935. Her burial was attended by an enormous amount of people and was published all over the World.
Huan Lingyu burial
In his book, Patrick Galvan gives a lot of details about the life and films of Huan Lingyu. It also brings a lot of background information both about the film companies (in particular Lian Hua) and Shanghai cinema in 1920s and 1930s, as well as about the politics influencing Chinese movies at that time. It includes the complete list of Ruan Lingyu’s movies, many of which are now lost. Surprisingly, there is no mention of the special circumstances of “Love and duty” that disappeared for decades and was found back in Uruguay in the 1980s.
Although a short book, it is very detailed and is best read after having studied the topic a bit. One of the good preparation for reading the book, is 1991 movie “Center stage” about the life of Ruan Lingyu.
Great specialist of Old Shanghai and author of several books on the topic, Lynn Pan was as discreet as talented. She has recently passed away and will be sadly missed.
Born in Old Shanghai, her family owned major construction company Pan Shang Lin 潘尚林 building firm that was in charge of building Park Hotel and other landmarks of Old Shanghai including the Yangtze Hotel, Picardie Apartments on Heng Shan Road and the head quarters of Bank of China on the Bund. Growing up in Malaysia, she lived in Europe, Hong Kong and Singapore before coming back to her beloved Shanghai. Her books have influenced many and were instrumental in reviving the memory of Old Shanghai and its glory. They included “In search of Old Shanghai” (1982) and “Old Shanghai: Gangsters in Paradise” (1984).
Another landmark was “Shanghai Style: Art and design between the wars” (2008), that rediscovered 海派 / Haipai or Old Shanghai style mixing the Chinese and Western style used in funiture, paintings, posters and other artefacts.
One of my fond memory of her was a speech she gave at the Shanghai International Literary Festival in 2008 or 2009 together with her friends Tess Johnston and Rena Krasno. Together they gave such a vivid picture of Old Shanghai, just like a time travel.
Celebration for French National Day, 14th of July or Bastille Day is an icon of French Culture that also took place in Shanghai French Concession. Far from the mainland, it was an important day of celebration for the French community. After finding an original ticket for the 1929 Bastille Day celebration, I looked into that year celebration.
Saturday 13th program from Le Journal de Shanghai on Gallica
Full program of the 1929 Fête Nationale in the French Concession was published in French daily newspaper “Le Journal de Shanghai”. First celebrations were a “Retraite aux flambeaux” on Saturday 13th July in the evening. Night parade under lanterns light has been a tradition of Bastille Day celebration that is still lasting today.
The parade started at 8:45 pm from the French Bund, through Avenue Edouard VII (today Yan’an Lu), turning around the Great World entertainment center toward Boulevard de Montigny (today Xizang Lu). It then moved to Avenue Joffre (today Huai Hai Zhong Lu), Route Voyron (now pedestrian Yendang lu) and finishing in Jardin de Koukaza, also known as the French Park (today Fuxing Park), followed by fireworks.
14th July 1929 official program in Le Journal de Shanghai on Gallica
On Sundat 14th July, celebration started with flag salute at 8:00 at the French Consulate. The main event was the troop review at the Jardin de Koukaza. With French military barracks at Camp Mangin, next garden entrance it was convient to hold the military review in a nearby location. Jardin de Koukaza had a long military tradition, as it was military training ground before being turned into a garden when urbanisation expended westward.
Location of Camp Mangin (original 1937 map from Shanghailander collection)
Seating spectators for the review where located in 3 sections. Below is an original ticket for section C. The invitation was issued by the French Concession municipal Council and it clearly stated that the review started à 8:30. There was probably also many standing spectators as this must have been a popular event to view.
Original invitation to the troop inspection (Shanghailander collection)
The troop review was conducted by Colonel Mallet and was attended by all important people of the French Concession, as well as other foreign Consuls. Reviewed troops included: – The French Volunteers battalion, with many known people in the community such as architect Paul Veysseyre. The banner was carried by Mr Salabelle. – Europeans agents of the French Concession Police – Chinese agents of the French Concession Police – Annamite agents of the French Concession Police – Chinese volunteers – French army battalion stationed in Shanghai – Fire brigade and tanks Pictures below are of the troop review and the following military parade from 1938. It was surely similar to the one that took place in 1929. The was followed by award giving ceremony.
Inspection of the French bataillon in Park de Koukaza
After the parade, the event continued at the Avenue Joffre fire station, followed by returning to the French Consulate for a speech to a large crowd of French and Chinese people. The Consul then gave a speech to the Cercle Français on route Vallon. The most fashionable party was surely at the Cercle Sportif Français, where the cream of the crop joined the Consul to celebrate.
Military parade in the Park de Koukaza’s central alley
More popular events took place from 16:00 with games and sport competitions in Jardin de Koukaza. The closure event was a concert and outside movie from 21:00 in the same location.
This whole day of celebration was fully covered and commented in the following issue of the Journal de Shanghai.
Laszlo Hudec first masterpiece in Shanghai, the Normandy building on Huaihai Xi Lu has become one of the icons of Shanghai. The original ISS building on Avenue Joffre from 1924 was remained Normandy building in the 1930s when the ISS extended its building empire in the French Concession, in collaboration with French architects Leonard & Veysseyre.
Normandy building, the spot for picture!
In the last 10 years, it has really become the icon of Old Shanghai architecture, with hundreds of people taking picture in front of it every day. It was quiet and ignored when I used to live around this area 10 years ago. In the same period, Laszlo Hudec has become the symbol of foreign architects in Old Shanghai and a popular figure in Shanghai. His profile has also risen, although much less so, in his native Hungary.
For the 100th anniversary of the 武康大楼 (the actual Chinese name of the building), a great exhibition has been organized at the nearby 上海老房子艺术中心, the Shanghai old building cultural center, on Wukang Lu 393. The main attraction is a VR 3D adventure around the Normandy building and its history. It is very immersive, including a virtual air balloon flight over the part of Shanghai in the 1930s. It really shows that the building and other 1930s skyscraper where really dominating the city at the time. It also makes clear that this part of Shanghai, that is now the heart of the city center, was the edge of the city at that time.
Visiting the Normandy building virtually
The exhibition only lasts until 31st July. Highly recommended!
