EDITOR’S Note:

Human development in the past century has been dramatic, but it seems that the faster we go forward, the more we become interested in the past. Minhang, covering 370 square kilometers, is a tiny spot on the map, but it looms large as a bellwether of both change and nostalgia. Shanghai Daily has compiled the stories of Minhang locals to record the history of the district in a new series entitled “Minhang Geographic.” The stories are told in the voices of those sharing their memories. In this story, residents recollect Xinzhuang Metro Station, which is undergoing major reconstruction.

IN 1993, Metro Line 1 was on the drawing boards. That was the year when the original jurisdiction of Minhang District was merged with Shanghai County, and the new Minhang District recognized the need for a rapid transit link to downtown.

At that time, the terminus of Metro Line 1 was set to be Jinjiang Park Station, and Minhang had only one bus route linking the district with the downtown area of Xujiahui. With the establishment of the Minhang Development Zone and the Minhang campus of Jiao Tong University, better and faster transportation was vital.

In December 1994, the district government signed a contract with the Shanghai Metro Group to extend Metro Line 1 to Xinzhuang. Three stations — Lianhua Road, Waihuan Road and Xinzhuang — were to be added under the agreement.

In July 1997, the first Metro Line 1 trains began operating to Minhang.

Chu Bannong, a native of Xinzhuang

For much of Chu Bannong’s early life, he got around by bicycle.

“When I was young, Xinzhuang was countryside and farms,” said Chu. “There wasn’t much traffic inconvenience because people didn’t have many places to go.”

Chu moved from rural digs to an apartment block in the early 1990s.

As urbanization of Xinzhuang began, bus service was the only local transport link. The buses were always crowded.

“If you wanted to go anywhere downtown, you had to either take several different buses or ride a bike for hours,” said Chu.

Chu was among the first passengers making full use of the new Metro line.

“There was no rush hour back then,” he recalled. “The trains were almost always empty when they left or arrived at Xinzhuang. What a change! Now it’s one of the busiest stations in Shanghai.”

With rapid transit service, the area quickly became a popular place to live.

Population mushroomed. Chu said it was not Xinzhuang that changed the Metro line, but the Metro line that changed the town.

Cheng Siqing, who used to date his wife at the Xinzhuang station

Xinzhuang station has more romantic connotations for 37-year-old Cheng Siqing. It was the site where he and his wife used to meet for dates.

His wife was born in Minhang and worked in the Minhang Development Zone. Cheng worked for a company in downtown Shanghai.

They met on a blind date and it was love at first sight. Every day after work, Cheng took Metro Line 1 to Xinzhuang to meet his girlfriend.

“The trains were always crowded, and the journey was not short, but I didn’t mind,” he said. “I was filled with happy anticipation of seeing her again.”

They often met by the “red building,” a detached wing of the Metro station. It wasn’t a particularly attractive building, but it was an icon of sorts in Xinzhuang.

There was a huge LED screen in front of the building, broadcasting traffic conditions, weather information and advertising. For some reason, it was a popular place for dating couples to meet.

“I thought of buying an ad on the screen to propose marriage to her,” Cheng said. “But I worried that it might be embarrassing, and, anyway, I couldn’t afford it.”

In the past, the red building had two eateries — a McDonald’s and a Yonghe King. Cheng and his future wife spent hours sitting there. The couple also shopped at a Hualian GMS hypermarket alongside the station.

The restaurants and stores are now gone as reconstruction gets underway.

In 2005, Cheng and his wife tied the knot and settled in Xinzhuang, not far from the station.

“Not many people wanted to live here back then because Xinzhuang was still considered a suburb,” Cheng said.

“But my wife worked in Minhang, and the Metro line made it easy for me to commute to my job. So the choice of where to live was a no-brainer,” he added.

For the first several years of their marriage, the couple lived with Cheng’s in-laws. His mother-in-law took care of their first child.

Her favorite place was Culture Square at the north side of the Metro station. She often took the baby for walks there, stopping to chat with old friends who also frequented the square.

“My mother-in-law later moved downtown and was sad when we told her the square was closed for construction,” said Cheng.

Nowadays, their child goes to school, Cheng’s wife has swapped her motorbike for a car and Cheng himself is back riding the Metro after driving for several years.

“Traffic jams are getting worse,” he said. “The Metro is incredibly crowded in the morning when I go to work.”

Mei Guoqiang, who worked for Minhang District Museum

Mei Guoqiang worked in the “red building” from 2002 to 2012, when his employer, the Minhang District Museum, was located there.

The museum opened in 2003. Mei remembers the first exhibition focused on the ancient culture of the Maqiao people and on traditional Chinese musical instruments.

“Back then, the economy of Minhang was booming, but the promotion of arts and culture was lacking,” said Mei. “For that reason, we at the museum were proud to be doing our small bit to fill that void.”

The museum charged no admission, which was unusual in its day. Its operations were so successful that curators from around Shanghai came to the red building to see how it was done.

“The red building actually was an ideal venue for the museum,” said Mei. “The station is a hub, and thousands of people come and go there every day. Those who had waiting time, could come to the museum. Those who were arriving in Minhang for the first time could stop and learn a bit about the history of the district.”

In 2012, the museum was relocated because of reconstruction. Soon, the whole “red building” itself will disappear.

“It feels like the end of an era and we’re saying good-bye to our past selves,” said Mei. “But I think the new Xinzhuang Station will be very attractive and more functional for the public.”