[19:15] [Go into #130 Nong on the north side of the street. Walk towards the apartment building at the end of the road.] We are now in this ‘Nóng Tāng’ and if we continue here we will reach Jian Guo Xi Lu [建国西路]. This is the #130 Nong [Photo 6587] [Map #3]. This #130 Nong is kind of… if we were in the 1980s or 1990s then we could see buildings from 80s all the way to early 1990s here. There are all kinds of building styles in this ‘Nóng Tāng’. There are typical ‘Shí Kù Mén’ styles here as well as some ‘New Government Housing’ styles. These ‘New Government Housing’ styles are basically built after the early 1990s, and they all have individual bathrooms. These high–rises in front of us were built in the early 1990s during the ‘Open and Reform’ period of China. There is a lot of expertise involved in building a high–rise. It is not only about the contractor team and architect’s skills but also the direction that the High–rises are facing. Everyone knows Shanghainese take the facing direction of their houses into great consideration.

6587- 130 Nong Entrance.

6589- Entering 130 Nong. Old and new architectural styles can be seen just on this one road.

Apartments facing north are not nearly as popular as those facing south. I feel that these high–rises are one of the top representatives of Shanghai architectural history. In this kind of ‘Nóng Tāng’ you could see many different types of social planning [Photo 6589]. One ‘Shí Kù Mén’ style is where a lot of the facilities are publicly shared. Neighbors would meet all time because they would have to cook at the same place. They would chat a lot and call each other something like ‘Zhang’s mother’ or ‘Wang’s mother’. Another type would be the ‘New Government Housing’ style of living. Although these apartment buildings have 5 to 6 stories and each house has its individual bathroom, people living in them are still from the old ‘Nóng Tāng’. They would still come out and meet in the plaza downstairs and catch up on the daily gossip. The kids in these high–rises would look down and be able to see everything and learn things. The TV reception is better and they even have internet. Slowly people would stop coming out so often to meet with their neighbors. The good thing is most of these people have 3 to 4 generations living in the ‘Nóng Tāng’ so everyone is like family. There is also a ‘Neighborhood Association’ system where all things happening are reported and communicated to everyone. Everyone sees each other’s old houses being demolished and rebuilt and they all grew up together. So despite where everyone ends up, all the neighbors still have great relationships.

[When you reach the apartment building, turn left.] You would always see ‘inspectors’ wearing an arm band riding a bike with a little speaker and would go around the neighborhood chanting, “Everyone pay attention: it is getting cold…” or, “The weather is getting hot…” or, “Pay attention to your belongings, there are thieves around these days…” etc… You could hear these kinds of announcements every morning and night. They are a bit like those ‘clock people’ in old movies and books who announced the time by hitting a gong every two hours. It feels very intimate when everyone is living under such crowded conditions. It feels like a big family.

6612- Bamboo scaffolding for exterior renovations.

Now you see plenty of scaffolding outside of these buildings [Photo 6612]. It is because most of these buildings are over 20 years old and the government is spending money to fix the exterior. After the renovation, the exterior of these buildings look better but the people living inside have the same life as before. They also have facilities like rest homes and kindergartens 20. These facilities allow the residents here to be self-sufficient because the services that are needed for the entire community are all provided within the area. Kids and senior citizens can be looked after properly near their family’s home. Nowadays, if you want a bigger rest home with better scenery and air you will have to go far out of the city. However, you will not be able to visit your elders as much. Maybe once a week is already considered enough, but I feel that it is still better to keep the elders close to home.

6646- Outdoor Barber shop.

There are some convenience stores, cigarette stores, and barber shops around here. In the past, the barber shop was right on the side of the street where there was just a chair with a bucket of water, some hot towels and hot water [Photo 6646]. That was all that was needed for a business to be open. I loved coming to places like this for a shave when I was young. How would you describe that feeling? It was just… simple! Unlike now, just for a simple haircut you need to pay for different kinds of washing and treatments. All I want is to get a cut and look energized so I don’t go to salons much.

You would also see many renovation workers from outside of Shanghai. At old times Shanghainese would fix their own walls, doors, and all kind of things. Now there are increasingly more outsiders doing these for Shanghainese. We call them the ‘New Shanghainese’. You could say that there are no ‘Shanghainese’ in Shanghai. Everyone here came from all over the place. Shanghai is like a melting pot where everyone brings a bit of outside color and culture to this city. People ‘become’ Shanghainese.

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