Fabulous Shanghai City

By Choe Chong-dae

I recently returned from a memorable trip to Shanghai, where I was fortunate to have enjoyed many aspects of Chinese culture. At present, Shanghai is busy completing tasks in preparation for the upcoming 2010 World Expo, which is scheduled to begin on May 1. The theme of the Expo is ``Better City, Better Life.''

While in Shanghai, I heard the story of the Danish sculptor Edvard Erikse's bronze statue journey from Copenhagen harbor to the World Expo. The ``Little Mermaid," as the statue is titled, is a famous landmark in Copenhagen and this is her first trip abroad in her 96-year history. Renowned Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale ``The Little Mermaid" is connected to this statue, and the ``daughter of the ocean" as some call her, will attend the World Expo in Shanghai as a centerpiece of the Danish pavilion.

Shanghai is one of the most attractive port cities in China. It is a melting pot of foreign cultures, a fascinating metropolis that blends dynamic fashion with graceful ambiance. Its immediate and timeless neighbors are the sea and the giant labyrinthine Yangtze River. Younger than other major Chinese cities, Shanghai has a vigor and liveliness to it. I experienced the elegance of old Shanghai by roaming along the Finance and Trade Zone in Bundong, and discovered the trendy fashion district while traveling along Nanjing Road. If one is searching for a more romantic setting, one should seek out and savor the diversity of Xintiandi.

The highlights of my Shanghai exploration were the bustling ancient town of Yu Garden and the bird's eye view of Shanghai from the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. Material abundance and spiritual enrichment combine to make Shanghai an invigorating ancient town.

There is a saying that a remarkable place can produce an outstanding person. Shanghai is such a place. Groups of renowned litterateurs and scholars have come from Shanghai throughout its long history. As a flourishing international metropolis, Shanghai is regarded as the city that is leading China toward a brilliant future.

For me, it is difficult to think of Shanghai without recalling the many Korean independence fighters who sacrificed their lives fighting for Korea's freedom and independence in Shanghai during the Japanese colonial reign. The Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai was established on April 13, 1919, with its offices located in a two-story building in the French quarter, which was one of the most multicultural areas in the Far East during this period.

The Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai did not gain formal recognition from world powers at first, but a modest form of recognition was granted by the nationalist government of China and a few other foreign governments. The provisional government worked diligently toward achieving the independence of Korea from Japanese colonial rule, which ultimately helped in the liberation of Korea.

In addition, Shanghai has a special place in my heart because of Yun Bong-gil's bombing at Hongkew Park. Strolling through the park, I contemplated the heroic act of the Korean patriot. Occupying Shanghai on January 1932, the Japanese admirals and generals of the imperialist force attended a commemorative ceremony at the park on April 29 to celebrate Japanese Premier Hirobumi Ito's birthday and their occupation of Shanghai. Yun threw a bomb killing Shirakawa Yoshinori, then Japanese commander-in-chief in Shanghai, and Kawabata Sadaji, then head of the Japanese community in Shanghai. Yun was arrested on the spot and sentenced to death by a military tribunal on May 25 in the same year. I feel it is important that patriotic acts such as Yun Bong-gil's are not forgotten.

In my opinion, the most impressive place in Shanghai is the Shikumen. Translated, the term means ``Stone Gate" houses. They are located on Zizai Lane and Datong Lane. The Shikumen is a typical indigenous style of housing, which harmoniously blends features of the East and the West. There are numerous fascinating places worth visiting in Shanghai, but personally I hope I can visit the Shikumen again, for it imbued me with a real sense of the city of Shanghai built in the early 20th century. The remains of the ancient city help one visualize the life of the citizens during those times and the stunningly beautiful architectural designs harbor their own unique tales and history, which draw one to imagine and experience the city of old Shanghai.

If you are looking to experience an ancient-modern, captivating city which effortlessly blends the East and the West, and which has a special and lasting relationship with Korea and its own journey toward a brilliant future, place Shanghai at the very top of your list. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

The writer is president of Dae-kwang International Co. and the Korean representative of Compagnie Cotonniere of Paris, as well as a long-time director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at dkic98@chol.com.