25th anniversary Going from strength to strength toward a bright future
Print Edition
THIS year, the Minhang District celebrates its 25th anniversary as an administrative entity. In 1992, Shanghai County was merged with then Minhang District to become the new district of Minhang. Today it is home to more than two million residents. Three of them from different age groups share their stories about life in the district as it goes from strength to strength.
‘AFTER the merger, my village disappeared in two years’
CHU remembers well the year when Minhang District and Shanghai County merged into one administrative unit.
“I was working in the Shanghai Municipal Commission, the predecessor of the Shanghai Development and Reform Commission, to draft a future plan for Shanghai County,” he said. “When it was merged and became the Minhang District, my work ended and I was relocated to a government housing estate. My village disappeared in two years.”
Urbanization has by far been the biggest change in Minhang, he says.
“First, the mode of production changed completely,” he says. “And secondly, villages disappeared in just a matter of a few years. Agriculture had been the basis of the local economy for hundreds of years before that. This was truly a major reformation.”
Chu calls himself the last generation of the old days. But he has adapted well. After he retired, Chu wrote his memories for local county annals. He recorded the first time his village got electricity, and the novelty of land acquisition. He is still working on Minhang District annals.
‘MY friends don’t bother to send their children to other districts for school anymore’
FENG moved to Minhang District from Xuhui District with her family after completing the first grade. She recalls that the move was unsettling because she didn’t know anyone and her new neighborhood seemed a bit bleak and remote from downtown Shanghai.
“There were no shops or grocery stores,” she recalls. “And the crude road was narrow and full of potholes. I remember my father used to walk to work before we moved, but after the move, he had to ride for at least 40 minutes.”
But the backwardness didn’t prevail.
“Just few years ago, if I wanted to go shopping, I had to spend an hour traveling back to the Xuhui District,” Feng said. “But now, Minhang has big shopping centers and restaurants. And at the end of last year, Metro Line 12 started to operate. I have many friends telling me how much it has made their lives easier.”
Feng finished all her studies in the district. As an educator, she says she has seen profound changes in the education system.
“As proof, my friends don’t bother to send their children to other districts for school anymore,” she says. “Minhang has a big population and perhaps had a late start, but we can see resources from downtown gradually moving to suburban area, like Shangbao High School, which was co-founded by Qibao High School and Shanghai High School.”
She added, “Minhang is definitely improving and will go somewhere.”
‘WHAT is now the Minhang government building used to be a gas station’
YAN Haiping has spent his whole life in Minhang and can remember how it looked before modern development gave it a makeover.
“What is now the Minhang government building used to be a gas station,” he said. “I lived in a village called Yan’s Village, where 90 percent of village surnames were Yan. And next to Yan’s village was Shen’s Village.”
Yan recalls when the area used to be nothing but vast farmland, stretching as far as the eye could see. He used to help his parents with farm work every day after school.
“Xinbang Road used to look like Qibao Street, with wooden structures,” he said. “My friend and I normally bought breakfast there — soy milk and fried bread sticks. A bowl of bean curd cost only a few cents back then.”
In those days, no one ever imagined buying a car. Everyone rode bicycles, which often were passed down from one generation to the next in families.
“I still ride to work now because there are too many cars on the streets,” Yan said. “It’s actually faster to bicycle. With every family having at least one car today, parking has become a nightmare.”
Yan said the speed of development in Minhang has been dizzying, though he agrees with those who think that some of the pleasant simplicity of yesteryear has been lost in the process.
“Our village used to feel like a big family,” he said. “Children carried their bowls and spoons during mealtime to other families to ask for food. We left the door unlocked and felt safe. But now, I don’t even know my neighbors’ names or what they do. Life was simpler back then.”
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