Stop the Presses!
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cover story Stop The Presses! 101 YEARS OF OLD SHANGHAI NEWS BY THE THAT’S SHANGHAI TEAM ounded in 1864, the North China Daily News was 1870 Shanghai’s first English- language newspaper and DEC 28 Fone of its most influential. At a time when Shanghai was Asia’s journal- THE BRITISH ism center, the publication was noted CONSULATE 1872 for a balanced voice (for the times), strong reporters and sympathies that OFFICE BUILDING JUN 3 often lay with local Chinese predica- BURNS DOWN ments. BRITISH Shortly after the British Consulate CONSULATE, TAKE It bore witness to some of the city’s Office was built in 1849, it col- THREE most confusing, tumultuous and lurid lapsed. Reconstructed in 1852, the building standing at No. 33 on the moments. The fall of an emperor. Two years after it burned down, a Bund suffered a second catastrophe Violent struggles for power. Triad new British Consulate was built – – it was destroyed in a fire. The re- suit admirably the decimated furni- intrigue and opium. The rise of the which, thankfully, still stands today. porter seems less than impressed by ture and perhaps when everything foreign settlements and crazy parties A ceremony to lay the foundation the Consulate’s temporary digs… settles down, the impoverished at the Astor House Hotel, many of stone is delayed due to “a defect conditions of everything will be which raged until five in the morn- in the Chinese character.” A silver “The consulate and Supreme Court less conspicuous than if going into ing. trowel was ordered from Canton were moved into their respective premises of the extent of these lost, [Guangzhou] to be used, but never temporary offices yesterday, and but present appearances are suf- The whole of these archives – from arrived. The total cost of the new some progress made in bringing ficiently deplorable.” day one until the Communist gov- building is estimated at 6,500 order out of chaos, into which ernment closed the newspaper on pounds. March 31, 1951 – has always been papers and office furnishings had The following day, a letter to the housed in the catacombs of the lesser been thrown on the occasion of the editor was published requesting known Shanghai Library, Xujiahui fire. The narrow spaces in which fire alarms be secured throughout branch. However, flipping through the offices are now comprised will the city. the pages of time for the casual re- DEC 28 searcher just got easier. Last month, JUN 3 a nearly-completed, four-year project 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 was debuted, in which each day of 11 JAN 28 MAY the North China Daily News (up to NOV 22 1940… the last six years are still hardcopy) and its sister gazette paper the North China Herald (1856-1941) have been painstakingly scanned into 1867 1874 the computer, preserved for eternity. NOV 22 MAY 28 To celebrate, the That’s Shanghai team spent countless hours diving FIRST MAtcH NOT BERRY GOOD into this time capsule, collecting vi- gnettes from those lives that preceded An advertisement goes for anyone A writer’s scalding assessment of a ours. We don’t pretend this is an 1865 in town interested in a bout of local fruit supplier. all-inclusive history. What we have is footie. a fascinating swirl of fads, rivalries, JAN 11 “Yesterday’s sampling of strawber- wars and tensions. Dawns of eras “A meeting of persons anxious ries were comparatively feeble and the ends of others. Prohibition, THE ARCHIVES to join a Foot Ball Game, now in and undeserving notice. One dish fashion and booze, booze, booze! BEGIN course of formation, will be held displayed a lack of enterprise and Some things change, others never at Mr. J. A. Maitland’s Yuen-liong another a lack of flavor; the first do… ML The first year is filled with advertise- Hong on Monday, 25th, instant at having no form and very little taste, ments, notices and announcements, 3.30pm when the Rules drawn up while the second were all form // To scope out the computer archives, you but little content. Longer articles will be laid before those present. and had no taste at all. They were need a library card. Bring your passport to begin in 1866. Members enrolled and arrange- indeed as the producer remarked the main branch of the Shanghai Library ments so made that the game be ruddy with a wild and rustic beauty, on Huaihai Lu to register (if you don’t plan immediately commenced.” but as is too often the case, all had on leaving with anything, a readers pass been scarified to appearance. We is adequate). 1555 Huaihai Zhong Lu, by Later on November 25, the first shall decline in future to notice sam- Gao’an Lu 淮海中路1555号, 近高安路. Shanghai Football Club was offi- ples below par and are reluctantly After that, head to Xujiahui. 2/F, 80 Caoxi Bei cially founded. driven to believe that the horticul- Lu, by Xujiahui Metro Station, exit 8 漕溪北 tural talent of Shanghai exhausted 路80号2楼, 近徐家汇地铁站8号出口 itself on the first two efforts.” Boom! 54 April 2014 // www.thatsmags.com cover story 1890 APR 29 OPENING DAY AT THE RACES 1865-1890BY LAUREN HOGAN AND ZOEY ZHA “Mr Sassoon won the first race and there were some who went about muttering that he was going In 1849, the [former] French Concession is founded. Six years later, the Shanghai Municipal to win everything… Mr Sassoon’s Council – comprised of Westerners to establish land regulations for self-government of the Champion griffin was brought out different concessions – is formed. While outsiders settled in, China seethed. The Taiping with as much pomp and circum- Rebellion, started in 1850, saw the deaths of nearly 20 million, making it one of the deadliest stance as if he had been a wild military conflicts in history. Finally, in 1864 the war ended and, one year later, North China elephant about to be forced into the Daily News began print. From the start of the paper to the 1890s, advertisements for alcohol, keddah.” opium and sport filled the pages. Columns are written on fashionable parties, local and international news and letters to the editor on resident’s ‘recent outrages’ (read: drunk and disorderly conduct). 1882 MAY 10 1882 LET THERE BE LIGHT! FEB 17 A prospectus from the Shanghai should be prepared to tender to Electric Company brings good news light the public streets from the be- At the peak of holiday season – to residents in Shanghai, casting ginning of the next year.” CNY began on the 18th this year light upon those who have been tak- – advertisements for fancy formal- ing care of oil lamps. This marks the first time electricity wear blanketed the paper: “For was actively available to the popula- fancy dress ball – Wigs, beards and “The Municipal Council has grant- tion at large. disguises of all kinds. Ladies and ed the right to erect poles, or to gentlemen requiring the same will make use of those belonging to the is ready to make a trial of the light; oblige by sending as early as possi- Council, as soon as the Company and it is desirable that the Company ble to the toilet club. Nankin Road.” 10 MAY FEB 17 APR 29 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 NOV 18 NOV 1 MAY FEB 21 1876 NOV 18 FIRST RAILWAY IN DEbt 1882 FEB 21 Marked as the first railway in Shanghai, the Woosung [Wusong] Railway project CHINESE NEW was proposed by a British merchant. YEAr… After three months of construction, the railway was officially declared open. “No small portion of the Chinese 1890 However, controversies did not stop pop- however, seem to prefer keeping ping up once the Government approved their New Year by shutting out MAY 1 this project. An accident a month after every ray of sunshine from their opening killed one and raised the public’s houses and then sitting in a dark "SASSOON’S ire. Therefore, the British suggested selling control to Chinese government room banging gongs, rattling wood HERO WINS THE while maintaining their profits. It was bought by the Chinese, and then de- and making the most awful din they CHAMPION’S CUP" molished. can. Truly what is one man’s pleas- ure is another man’s punishment, but as long as everybody is able to The powerfully rich David Sassoon be happy in his own way it is not for cleans up the races with the 23 neighbors to complain.” ponies he has entered. His front- runner, Hero, goes on to win the Champion’s Cup the next two years in a row. Almost seems unfair… April 2014 // www.thatsmags.com 55 cover story 1895 APR 18 1890-1910BY EMILY AYLEtt 1891 TREATY OF 1890-1910 brought FEB 18 SHIMONOSEKI uncertainty for After the end of the Sino-Japanese Shanghai’s residents SQUANDERED SONGBIRD as political trouble War, China and Japan signed the brewed and then Treaty of Shimonoseki. Despite exploded between China Foreigners in Shanghai didn’t lack in China making embarrassing con- and Japan. A war was entertainment options – but it seems cessions, it’s clear the end of the declared and ended, some editors felt they lacked in taste. war was welcomed by both coun- a peace treaty signed, tries. There was still doubt from and China struggled “Madame Patey and her colleagues the paper however, about what the to come to terms with gave their fifth concert on Monday treaty actually meant for people in Japan’s victory and Night at the Lyceum to a very poorly China: Korea’s subsequent filled house, for which it is difficult independence.