Dong Zhang

On February 16th, my class met at the Houtan Metro Station for an “algorithmic walk.” Before walking, Professor Perry gave us some examples of how to observe and think while walking by asking questions about a fence facing the Metro exit and surrounding a construction site. He asked us to look closely, and think about what we were seeing: a fence covered in plastic “grass.” What was its purpose? What would happen to it after the wall came down? What was it made of, and did we think it had any intended significance or meaning?

After gathering my thoughts, I set off on my walk and soon met a construction worker. I thought I’d ask him about the “grass.”

The worker smiled and pointed out two main purposes: One is that it is loose and soft, so it can reduce noises produced by the construction site. The other is that it can protect the wall from becoming dirty and prevent people from putting up advertisements on the wall.

Though my professor seemed to want to make some kind of point about the environment, plastics pollution, oil, global warming, and how we represent “nature” in unnatural ways, the worker didn’t have any thoughts about those kinds of things.

Low-rise lane houses and villas in a city of high rises

The local residents were walking along Changshu Lu, with fruit stores, diaries, and grocery stores. PHOTOGRAPH BY DONG ZHANG

Walking out of the subway station, I was excited to go to Changshu Lu for the first time. We four students from NYU Shanghai’s writing class, went to Changshu Lu to conduct an algorithmic walk. We flipped a coin eight times to determine our “algorithms”: “head” stands for the left and “tail” stands for the right. And we walked on Changshu Lu accordingly.

Only low residential buildings stood alongside the road, without those kinds of skyscrapers in Lujiazui. Although Changshu Lu was old, you could still perceive the hustle and bustle of city life. Some people were selecting fruits carefully and bargaining with the shop owner. Some were queueing up for breakfast. And some were airing clothes and sheets on the balcony. These everyday scenes gave me a realistic impression of life, a feeling I did not have elsewhere in Shanghai.

Coffee and a telephone booth

Manner Coffee, well decorated, stood out on the street and offered drinks to residents and travelers. PHOTOGRAPH BY DONG ZHANG

Moving forward, we were surprised to see some new trend stores. To take an example, Manner Coffee, a popular Shanghai coffee shop, was located on this old street. It was interesting to see old stores and new stores together. However, some newly opened stores did not match the ambiance of the street: a large proportion of customers are visitors, not local residents. We walked based on the algorithms, I found an abandoned telephone booth. It was rare to see one because nowadays almost everyone has their own phone. However, it was indeed the witness of an old era, although now it’s abandoned and nobody knows how the government will deal with it.

Who needs a telephone booth when we all have phones (like the one that took this picture) with us everywhere we go? The sign inside says “Under Construction. Currently Unavailable.” PHOTOGRAPH BY DONG ZHANG.

The residence of a Chinese Christian doctor who helped create communist China

The former residence of Yan Fuqing, a pioneer in Chinese medicine education. PHOTOGRAPH BY DONG ZHANG

Moving forward, we found some historical sites, including the former residence of Yan Fuqing. He was a Chinese medical practitioner, public health pioneer, civil servant, and educator. Born in Shanghai in 1882, Yen came from a renowned family with a history of serving the Chinese government and society. After graduation from St. John’s College and Yale Medical School, Yen later returned to China and pioneered several public health initiatives, including the establishment of a local Red Cross, overseeing the Hunan-Yale Agreement, the foundation of the National Medical Association of China as well as the National Shanghai Medical College, now the Medical College at Fudan University. Yen actively treated patients during the Japanese occupation of China in World War II and saved lots of lives. His contributions to public health and medical education in China have left a lasting impact.

The Shanghai Film Studio and the birth of the PRC

Shanghai Film Studio, one of the most famous Chinese movie companies, contributes greatly to the development of Chinese movie production. PHOTOGRAPH BY DONG ZHANG

Later on, we arrived at Shanghai Film Studio. Established on November 16, 1949, it was one of the origins of Chinese film production. In the early years of New China, Shanghai Film Studio produced a number of excellent films with a wide range of subjects and rich content. Following the foundation, Shanghai Film Studio became the largest and most spectacular production base of Chinese films within a decade, and the development of Shanghai films entered its first golden period. The buildings in Shanghai Film Studio were generally low-key, like all the other buildings on Changshu Lu. It did not have as much space as other modern film studios. Nor did it have a billboard to attract people. It was likely for people to neglect without paying enough attention.

When I passed by the studio, I never expected to be able to come across such a famous film studio on this casual walk. I could still remember when I was a little child, my parents and I went to the cinema, watching a lot of classic movies produced by Shanghai Film Studio such as Railway Guerrilla. Many of them had a great influence on me. And I was glad to see that Shanghai Film Studio still thrived now. Although it has passed a long time and everything has changed greatly, those good old days in my mind will never fade away.

Renovation, preservation, “renewal,” and a changing Shanghai

Be aware! There is a construction site at the end of our journey. PHOTOGRAPH BY DONG ZHANG

By the end of the walk, we came across a construction site. Builders were tearing down old buildings and constructing new ones. This phenomenon is common in China today. With the rapid development of Shanghai and the increase of popularization, many old buildings have been replaced by new and tall buildings for more space, but still, local culture and history remain their features.

It is always easy to focus on the most popular tourist attractions. But the real beauty of a city may lie in the unexpected places, waiting to be discovered by the curious souls who seek them out.