Interdisciplinary colloquium:
A Tale of Ten Cities: Sino-American Exchange in the Treaty Port Era, 1840-1950
American Studies Programme , The University of Hong Kong
China-West Studies, Faculty of Arts, The University of Hong Kong ,
Shanghai Institute of American Studies
Hong Kong American-Center.
Date: 23-24 May, 2011
Time: 9:00 – 17:00
Venue: Room 809, 8/F, Council Chamber,
Meng Wah Complex, The University of Hong Kong
An Observation on the American-related Historical Monuments in China during the
Treaty Port Era:
A Note on the Adaptive Reuse of Shanghai’s Monumental Buildings
(Draft Version – Please do not quote.)
1)
Introduction:
After Treaty of Nanjing was signed, Shanghai was opened to the Western World
in 1842 . The Sino-American Treaty of Wanghia (中美望厦条约) signed in 1844
allowed further guaranteed the right of United States to visit and trade in Chinese
cities. Many missionaries, merchants and government officials from difference
nationals were all attracted to Shanghai as it was one of the best gateways to other
part of the costal regions in China as well as the inner part of China along the Yangtze
River.
The rise of the People’s republic of China in 1949 marked the end of the Treaty
Port Era, however most of the beautiful Western building were still remained. This
article selected some of the American-related Historical Monuments in Shanghai and
highlighted its changes of this function of such buildings. 1
1
The best recent research on this topic is Xiong Yuezhi(熊月之), Xu Tao(徐涛), and Zhang Sheng(张
生) , Shanghai de Meiguo Wenhua Ditu (Shanghai America Cultural Map)(《上海的美国文化地图》),
(Shanghai 上海: Shanghai Jinxiu Wenzhang Chubanshe 上海锦绣文章出版社; Shanghai Gushihui
Wenhua Chuanmei Youxian Gongsi 上海故事会文化传媒有限公司, 2010). Many of the information
of this article was based on Chapter 3 and 4 of Shanghai America Cultural Map ,pp.70-121.
2)
From Navigation to Fashion
One of the earliest historical building site which related to presence of the
American in Shanghai might be the Russell and Co. Building (旗昌洋行大楼) located
at the No. 6 to 9 on the Bund (外滩) . 2 The original building was a three-storey
wooden building in Renaissance style designed by Atkinson ＆ Dallas Architects and
Civil Engineers Ltd (通和洋行) which once served as the headquarter of Russell &
Co. The present outlook of the building was rebuilt by China Merchant's Steam
Navigation Co. ( 轮 船 招 商 局 ), the first “Government-supervised and
Merchant-managed” (官督商办) company that controlled by Li Hongzhang (李鸿
章). 3
Today, such historical location is changed its function as Shiatzy Chen (夏姿)’s
Shanghai flagship store (上海旗舰店), a Taiwanese fashion house which located at
the No. 9 East-1 Zhongshan Road, Huangpu District on the same location of former
Russell and Co. Building. The heritage of the prominent American company engaged
in opium trade and navigation was first succeeded into a new Chinese enterprise with
the same business in navigation. Since the bund lost its status of international trade
after the end of the Treaty Port Era, the building was not easy to preserve its original
function entirely, many new shops was opened for fashion or luxury goods as it
became a successful shopping street in these few years.
3) From Religious to Politics and Law
Saint John’s College（圣约翰书院）was established by William Jones Boone (文
惠廉) and Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky（施约瑟）, Shanghai Bishop of
Anglican Church in the United States of America (美国圣公会) , in 1879 which was
known as Saint John’s University (圣约翰大学) after 1892. It was the first University
in China which fully use English as the medium of instruction as promoted by Rev. F.
L. Hawks Pott（卜舫济牧师). Such attempt was a great change to Shanghai as many
of school in that time still using Shanghainese (沪语)or Mandarin (国语/Putonghua 普
通话) as their classroom language.
2
For detail historical research on Russell and Company, see Sibing He(何思兵), Russell and Company,
1818-1891 : America's Trade and Diplomacy in Nineteenth-century China,( Coral Gables, Fla. : Dept.
of History, Miami University, 1997) (Unpublished Ph. D.Thesis ).
3
Cao Kaifeng(曹凯风), Guanban Minying : Lunchuan Zhaoshang Ju (《官办民营 : 轮船招商局》)
(Government-ran and Merchant-managed) , (Taibei Xian Yonghe Shi 台 北 县 永 和 市 : Lifeng
Chubanshe 利丰出版社, 1999).
Such linguistic changed brought significance impact to Shanghai as the College
upgraded as a university which later registered in Washington D.C. in 1905. The
excellent training of English made the students well preparaed to proceed directly to
graduate schools in the United States. Saint John’s University also developed
post-graduate programme and accept female students in 1936. When they register to
the Republican Government of China (中华民政府) in 1947, it was a comprehensive
university with 16 departments included subjects of Arts, Science, Medicine and
Theology. Such great university with strong church background attracted many
students from wealthy families. Some of the famous figures of Republican China
were alumni of this American university in China, politicians like T.V. Soong (宋子文)
and Chung Sze Yuen (锺士元), architect like I.M. Pei(贝聿铭) and popular scholar
like Lin Yutang (林语堂). 4
Of course, the strong church background was no longer a merit after liberation,
this Saint John’s University forced to give up their relations with Anglican Church in
the United States of America in December,1950. Some of the teacher and students
awared that was a beginning of the new age which inspired them to link up the
university’s tradition with Chinese communist revolution instead of “imperialists” or
“capitalists”.
That was why the Saint John’s University proposed to rename the “Memory Hall
for Schereschewsky”(怀施堂) , the building name after one of the founder of the
university, to “Building of Taofen” ( 韬 奋 楼 ) for Zou Taofen ( 邹 韬 奋 ), a
undergraduate student in 1921 from the University who actively supported the
propaganda activities of the Chinese communist revolution. 5
Although it was approved by the authorities, Saint John’s University had no way
to escape from the fate of reconstruction in 1952 when there was a national wide
tertiary reform movement in 1952. The teachers and departments were allocated to
other university like Fudan University(复旦大学) and East China Normal University
(华东师范大学). The former campus of Saint John’s University was assigned to East
China University of Politics and Law (华东政法大学) which was now known as
4
上海圣约翰大学校史编辑委员会组(Shanghai Sheng Yuehan da xue xiao shi bian ji wei yuan hui zu )
编 ; 徐以骅(Shanghai Sheng Yuehan da xue xiao shi bian ji wei yuan hui zu bian)主编, Shanghai
Sheng Yuehan da xue (1879-1952)( Saint John’s University in Shanghai, 1879-1952 )(《上海圣约翰大
学(1879-1952)》),( Shanghai 上海: Shanghai Renmin Chubanshe 上海人民出版社, 2009).
5
陈挥(Chen Hui), Taofen Pingzhuan《韬奋评传》(A Critical Biography of Taofen), (Shanghai 上海 :
Shanghai Jiaotong Daxue Chu banshe 上海交通大学出版社, 2009).
Changning campus (长宁校区).
4)
From Religious to Science and Technology
University of Shanghai（沪江大学）was a university founded by the American
missionaries. In 1900, some of the members of the Southern Baptist Convention（美南
浸信会）and American Baptist Missionary Union（美北浸礼会）were moved to
Shanghai. After discussion, they decided to jointly establish a tertiary educational
institute there . In 1911, Shanghai Baptist College and Theological Seminary（上海浸
会大学）was established by the combination of both Shanghai Baptist Theological
Seminary established in 1906 and Shanghai Baptist College established in 1909.
One of the founder of the university , Francis John White（魏馥兰), changed
the Chinese name of the university to “Hujiang Daxue”（沪江大学. Literally means
“University of Shanghai”）in 1914. The students graduated there would obtained
degree a from Virginia. This practice was maintained until the first Chinese Principal
Dr. Herman C. E. Liu (刘湛恩) decided to localize the university with more Chinese
elements. For example, he registered the university to Chinese government and
adopted a non-religious name “University of Shanghai” (a literal translation of the
Chinese title “Hujiang Daxue” 沪江大学）in 1929 . There were some excellent
alumni from this university , like Hsü Chih-mo (徐志摩) and Hsia Chih-tsing (夏志
清), who had excellent achievements in literature. 6
In February, 1951, the university was took over by the city government of
Shanghai and the campus was used by Shanghai Mechanical Production School(上海
机器制造学校) in 1952. This school in No. 516 Jun Gong Lu (军工路)was renamed
as University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (上海理工大学).
Even though it was formally established after liberation, the logo of the
University of Shanghai for Science and Technology still indicated the year of 1906
which shown the link between the University of Shanghai for Science and
Technology to the former American established Shanghai Baptist Theological
Seminary in that year.
6
For the study of the historical relations of the American with University of Shanghai, please read
Wang Licheng (王立诚), Meiguo Wenhua Shentou yu Jindai Zhongguo Jiaoyu : Hujiang Daxue de
Lishi 《美国文化渗透与近代中国敎育 : 沪江大学的历史》(American cultural penetration and the
modern education of China : a history of the University of Shanghai), (Shanghai Shi 上海市: Fu dan da
xue chu ban she 复旦大学出版社, 2001)
Figure 1: The Logo of the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology
5)
From Club to Court
Besides the Universities complexes, there were some other historical buildings in
Shanghai built by the American was still exist. However the nature of the building
could hardly adopted to the same function in the political situation in the 1950s to
1960s. The Shanghai American Club (花旗总会) was originally a small “Slam Club”
(满贯俱乐部) founded in 1916 which located at the No. 93 Kiangse Road (江西路). 7
During the War period, the nationalistic atmosphere among the European made the
American felt that they should had their own club with the name of their nation. A
Club with the word “American” was formally founded in No. 209 of Nanking Road
on 10th May, 1917. 8
Eight years later, the Shanghai American Club moved to Fuzhou Lu (福州路) in
1925 which further developed into to a Six-storey building designed by L. Hudec.
Four years after the liberation of Shanghai, the building was took over by the military
control commission (军事管制委员会) in 1953.
It adaptive reused as the office of High People's Court and Intermediate People's
Court(高、中级人民法院) of Shanghai. It was interesting that a club for relax and
entertainment for the Americans was used a serious court for justice to Chinese local
people. The function of this monument building was changed dramatically!
6)
From School to Research Center
Shanghai American School (美童学校) had a long history in Hongkou (虹口)
which was founded in 1912. A new building designed by Henry Murphy was built in
Avenue Petain(贝当路. It renamed as Hengshan Road [衡山路]) was a result of the
7
Paul French, The Old Shanghai A-Z,( Hong Kong : Hong Kong University Press, 2010), p.65.
Xiong Yuezhi(熊月之), Xu Tao(徐涛), and Zhang Sheng(张生) , Shanghai de Meiguo Wenhua Ditu
(Shanghai America Cultural Map)(《上海的美国文化地图》), pp.72-5.
8
growing number of students. There were 500 students from missionary, diplomatic
and business families in China by the 1920s. Again, it closed in 1st September 1949 at
the eve of the establishment of New China. 9
As it was a nice place for study and research, the old campus is now reused as
Shanghai Marine Equipment Research Institute (SMERI) (上海船舶设备研究所)
under China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (中国船舶重工集团公司) which
established in November, 1956. This research center located in No. 10 Hengshan
Road also known as 704 Research Center (704 研究所).
Surprisingly, the Shanghai American School was reopened again in 1980 on the
grounds of the U.S. Consulate General. As expected, the school needs to relocate to
other place instead of the original campus even though they come back to the same
city. The new campus is now located at the suburban Zhudi, in Puxi(浦西) and the
other on Pudong (浦西).
7)
Church and Sports Club Reopened.
The Community Church (国际礼拜堂) was originally founded in 1917 by
Charles Luther Boynton after the American Christian organized a choir on Route
Doumer (杜美路. It renamed as Donghu Road 东湖路). It church was formed by
American Christian from difference churches of the United States at September, 1920.
In 1923, the church moved to Western Part of the Shanghai French Concession. The
Gothic-style church located at today’s No. 53 Hengshan Road (衡山路) was finally
completed in 8th March 1925. It was an important land mark of the American
Christian community from 1920s’ to 1940s’.
Since the church was a mark of American presence in Shanghai, the situation of
the American population there was not stable when Korean broke out. Most of the
American Christian left there on December, 1950. However the church still
functioning until 1966, the major change was the language of religious activates
changed from English to Chinese. The Church reopened for the public on 24th
December, 1980 which was the only one church available at that time.
Foreign YMCA Headquarters (西侨青年会) was a large building located
Bubbling Well Road (静安寺路. Now named as Nanjing Road (West)南京西路) . As
it was a nice large-sized building with excellent facilities like heated swimming pool,
9
ibid, pp.80-82.
that took four years for its construction from 1928 to 1932. Such nice sport and
entertainment facilities was kept a first class attraction to American citizens as well as
the Japanese aggressors. It renamed as East Asian Sport Club (东亚体育会) in 1938
by the Japanese. After the liberation of Shanghai, the Foreign YMCA Headquarters
was took over by the Culture Bureau of Shanghai (上海市文化局) in 1953 As
suggested by Chen Yi(陈毅), the first mayor of Shanghai after 1949, Foreign YMCA
Headquarters reopened on 28th December, 1957 as Sport Club of Shanghai (体育俱
乐部) . 10 Visitors could visit this excellent Sports Club of all the times on No. 150 of
Nanjing Road (West) even nowadays.
8)
Conclusion
The historical buildings in Shanghai were valuable tangible treasure for us to
remember the American presence in the Old Treaty Port Era. These American-related
Historical Monuments were the witness of the political changes and urbanization in
last century. Besides the Universities and the sport club, many of the building
remained changed its function, the visitors need more preparation before their visit to
these heritage site in order to discover the clues of Sino-American Exchange in the
Treaty Port Era. The location and space of these monuments were definitely important
for us to imagine the glorious past of the Americans in China. It was more difficult for
us to feel the past of the other buildings if these were no longer exist.
10
Jiang Hongbin (蔣洪斌),Chen Yi Zhuan,(A Biography of Chen Yi) 《陳毅傳》, (Shanghai 上海 :
Shanghai Renmin Chubanshe 上海人民出版社, 1992).