Shanghai in 1955, an ordinary docker’s home.

Shanghai in 1956, factory workers practising dragon dance.

Shanghai in 1956, two ladies in makeup and Shanghai-style fashion gown.

Shanghai in 1956, mothers and their kids looking at themselves in distorting mirrors at The Great World, the biggest indoor entertainment venue in China.

Shanghai in 1958, a shop selling table lamps & hanging lantern covers, suitcases, raincoats, bags and toys.

A summer morning in Shanghai in 1959, girls left their home units provided by their factory to go to work.

COMMENTS FROM MINDS

Eric
1959 they are not in the Chairman Mao uniforms?? Why?

All Things Chinese
It was only during the early years of the Cultural Revolution between the late 60s and the beginning of the 70s when “Mao uniform” ruled the streetscape, thanks to the Red Guards.

In any human society, when people, particularly young people, gained unrestrained “democratic” rights, answerable to no one and bearing responsibility to nobody, they could be the most violent and destructive force in the community.

We saw it in Germany with fervent The Hitler Youth, saw it in Islamic State with passionate human bombers and continue to see it in Hong Kong with savage rioters.

COMMENTS FROM TWITTER

CaliCali2000
Communism treated factory workers very well  

All Things Chinese
Mao’s government tried to create a genuine “democracy” in China, a mass democracy for the grassroots people and a well-defined democracy with a mechanism for centralization, different from the democracy mainly among rich & powerful lobby groups and media.

The experiments were carried out in the factories and to a less extent in the rural communes in the 50s until the mid-80s, when workers were encouraged to have a say and take ownership of their work unit.
 
Great progress is made although many shortcomings are also exposed. For one thing, while fairness is achieved efficiency is compromised. The inefficiency is mainly due to the current low-level human civilisation where selfishness rules.
 
At this moment, most people, especially the leaders of most nations and the heads of most lobby groups, still don’t understand their external world is the reflection of their internal world, and the give & the take are just two sides of one coin.

A Shanghai street in 1976.

A commercial street in Shanghai CBD, 1976.

Shanghai CBD at night in 1976.

Shanghai in 1995 when Pudong Lujiazui, China’s new financial centre, was under construction.

Shanghai today – China’s new financial centre built in the recent 3 decades.

Shanghai on 30 September 2019, the eve of China’s 70th National Day.

The nightlife on Nanjing Road, China’s No. 1 shopping street in Shanghai CBD.

Tianzifang – an old shopping street in old Shanghai CBD in Xuhui District.

COMMENTS FROM MINDS

soxfan1957
Very quaint. I suspect these areas are slowing fading away though.

All Things Chinese
They are in fact gradually restored and increasing in number, which is a very good thing. 😚

A coffee shop in Shanghai.

Dripping Water Lake, a new irrigation reservoir on a coastal reclamation area in Nanhui, Pudong.

Mt. Sheshan, the only hill in Shanghai, located in Songjiang District.

COMMENTS FROM MINDS

soxfan1957
Neat buildings. What are they? The architecture doesn’t look Chinese.

All Things Chinese
The red building on the left is a Roman Catholic Church, built in the late 19th century by French missionaries after partially demolishing a Buddhist temple on the site.

The complex on its right side with a white dome roof is an observatory, also built by French settlers at the turn of the 20th century, equipped with a 40cm binocular telescope, the largest in Asia at the time, which was only replaced by a 1.56m China-made space telescope in the 1980s.

The residential buildings below should be part of the church or the observatory, judging by their architectural style, but I’m not absolutely sure.

You are welcome to share your thoughts here