The Social Dimension of Urban Transformation in Shanghai
Population Mobility, Modernity, and Globalization
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Abstract
Shanghai’s history of urban development forms a grand chapter of the rural to urban transition in Asia. Studies pertaining to Shanghai’s history and social evolution have become an important topic for discussion in the study of modern Chinese cities. Since 1843, when its treaty port opened and twenty-six British merchants arrived in Shanghai, transnational exchanges accompanying Western migration to this city have continued, leading a series of urban changes. Among many historic events and moments, including the Sino-Japanese War started in 1937, the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, and China’s Economic Reform in 1978, three historical periods stand out and had far-reaching impacts on Shanghai’s urban formation. [...]