park Archives - Shanghailander

Jessfield Park

As spring has come to Shanghai, many people go to the park for a bit of fresh air. One of the city’s favorite is Zhong Shan Park, but many people don’t know it has been there for more than a century, originally under the name of Jessfield Park.

Although Shanghai has changed a lot since 1935, the above Jessfield park is still recognisable on today’s Shanghai map. Saint-John University on it’s North side is also still there. Originally used as a military field, this plot of land was turned into a park in 1914.

The park was named Jessfield Park, it was located at the end of Jessfield road (today Wan hang du lu / 万航渡路). Just like the Bund garden, it was first restricted to foreigners, but became open to all people from 1928.

Jessfield Park, Shanghai, 1932, Ephgrave Collection, Ep01-216 (thanks to Paul French)

The park was of English style with grass, trees and ponds. Regular concerts from the municipal took place in the park. Long before electric amplification, sound of the band was amplified by a bankshell, a special structure designed to amplify sound. Those were very popular in the 1920s and 1930s, before the rise of electric sound amplification. The original can be seen on the top righ corner of above picture. It is still standing today, as shown on picture below. Designed in art deco style, it probably dates from the late 1920s or early 1930s.

Few people noweadays seem realise what the original purpose of this construction was. Next to the main lawn of the park, stands of little pergola surrounded by statues.

This construction is the original that was completed in 1935. It survived turmoils of history very well.

Jessfield park pergola (picture virtual Shanghai)

As the city expanded Westward, houses where built around the park. The tallest apartment building then was West Garden apartments. The building from 1928 was designed by Russian architect Alexander Yaron.

Jessfield park with view over West Garden apartments (Shanghailander collection)

This particular building still stands today, although it is now surrounded by much taller towers.

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Union Brewery building

A recent trip to Shanghai Ecological park along the Suzhou Creek was the opportunity to go and revisit the former Union Brewery factory, a Hudec building that has mostly been forgotten.

Union Brewery / 友啤 started as German owned company in the late 19th century. It then became a Scandinavian owned company. By 1931, it was purchased by investors including ED Sassoon & Co, owner of the Cathay Hotel (today peace Hotel) and Calbeck Mc Gregor, which imported Lanson Champagne to China. A new factory was commissioned in 1935, design was given to Laszlo Hudec. It was completed in 1936.

The 28.800 sqm area also included a large streamline design building. The right part with the angle is very typical of streamline design, echoing Paris Callot building completed in 1933 (see post Paris streamline building).

Comparing the 1937 British map and today satellite, it is clear that the area was surrounded by factories, in particular cotton mills. All those factories were using the river water and dumping used water in it. The Suzhou creek was not as clean and nice as today and sometimes had weird color due to textile dying process in the factories on its sides.

Above sketch shows that only a few buildings remain. The pond on above photos is probably where the main building once stood.

The above add gives a sense on how the beer factory looked inside. Surely very modern and efficient at the time of construction. It had the production capacity for 1 m crates of beer / year, and claimed to be the largest in Asia.

Union Brewery was one of the leading beer brand in Shanghai, along with its competitor Ewoo beer, owned by Jardien & Matheson (Ewoo / 怡和 in Chinese). One of the large company of Shanghai, Union Brewery was listed on the stock exchange. It made both pilsener and brown beer. Beer was advertised as “good for health for young and old”. It was a modern and fashionable drink.

In the 2000’s, the former United Brewery building became the (now long gone) entertainment complex Pier One, with restaurant Mimosa, bar Monsoon and night club Minx. It appears to be currently unused. It is located at 130 Yichang Road / 宜昌路130号 in Putuo district.

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Bastille Day in Old Shanghai

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.

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