Mao’s choice of reading material is no trifling matter for Christopher Reed, author of Gutenberg in Shanghai: Chinese Print Capitalism, 1876-1937. Rather, it symbolizes the importance of the two modern industrialized publishing firms and the development of print capitalism, the origin and culmination of which reveals one of history’s most striking shifts.

In their efforts to spread the word of God, 19th-century Christian missionaries introduced modern printing technology to china. Though their efforts to spread the gospel may have been limited, their propagation of technology was a roaring success.

Led by three major publishers, Commercial press, Zhonghua Books and World Books, Chinese print capitalism flourished during what is now known as the golden era from 1910-1927. However, that same technology was later used to spread a very different ideology; indeed, it became a platform for Chinese print Communism.

That’s: what role and influence did the missionaries have in the development of print capitalism and the formation of the People’s Republic of China?

Christopher Reed (CR): Over the course of the 19th-century, Christian missionaries, both Catholic and Protestant, brought about the initial transfer of (19th-century) Western-style printing technology to China.
As time went on, however, Christian missionaries often had their printing operations bought out by Chinese printers and publishers, who then created Chinese print capitalism. They accomplished this in part by borrowing technologies from abroad and in part by redeveloping Western technology for Chinese ends, manufacturing machines, fonts and paper locally.

That’s: Western technology was not favored in Shanghai or elsewhere prior to 1870s. What were the forces that later propelled its adoption?

CR: The first major Western printing technology embraced by Chinese printers was lithography. Shanghai-based Chinese printers embraced lithography form 1876 onwards because it allowed for rapid, mostly high-quality, reasonably priced reproduction of works for which there was a major national market. These works included educational texts, model civil service examination essays, examination aids, dictionaries, literature, medical texts, etc.

That’s: How did the Chinese publishing industry differ from that in the West?

CR: The Chinese publishing industry was different from Western publishing industries, especially in the Anglo-American world (as well as from other modern Chinese industries), because of the continuing influence of an older literati  ’service ethic’.

Part of what makes the Shanghai publishers interesting as historical subjects is that even as they were revolutionizing Chinese communications via the industrial printing press, they themselves typically held tight to this older, arguably out-of-date, service ethic.

At the same time, the demands of corporate industrial publishing necessitated night and day use of expensive machinery. This was the first step in an attempt to blanket China with publications from the presses of competing publishers.

It is for this reason that in the 1910-27 period one finds the fiercest, most ruthless forms of capitalist competition between the Shanghai publishers, resulting in what I call the ‘Textbook Wars’ between the Commercial Press, Zhonghua Books and World Books (the so-called Big Three Sima Lu [Fuzhou Road] publishers).

Granted, Shanghai has become one of the hottest spots on the planet, with all manner of attractions on offer. Indeed, the depth and breadth of said attractions present an embarrassment of wealth. As such, a guide is required, or better still a concierge, one whose knowledge is tailored to those whose standards are of the highest order, those accustomed to nothing but the best. In short, he following itinerary is designed with you in mind.

6am: one of the most beautiful sights in the city is watching the sun rise over Pudong’s skyline. Alight from the taxi at the corner of Henan Lu and Suzhou Creek, walk toward the Bund soaking up the creek view flanked by greenery and Concession-era buildings, and note the architectural details on either side of the waterway. If you reach the Bund promenade before 8am, you will be further inspired by the graceful movements of Shanghai’s famous taiqi practitioners.

9am: Head to Fangbang Lu, south of Yu Gardens. Inside the first hall of Chenghuang Miao you’ll find one of Shanghai’s traditional Taoist fortune tellers, dressed in a jade-adorned skull cap and black robes and sporting a moustache. For a small fee – often appraised on your looks – one of these gents will provide a fascinating version of your fortune, for good or evil.

10:30am: Make tracks to Lupu Bridge (no, not to jump – your fortune surely wasn’t that bad). Rather, climb to the top of the arch, which affords stunning views of the Huangpu river traffic and the shipyards along the 2010 World Expo site.

12:30pm: Enjoy a divine and very civilized lunch at Whampoa Club, a restaurant with a design palate dedicated to the soulful Shanghai of the 1930s.

2:30pm: Time for a bit of mental stimulation in the form of traditional Chinese art. The Arts and Crafts Research Institute is home to a very interesting group of Chinese artisans. Housed in a large villa once home to both the manager of the former French Concession bus line as well as the first Communist Mayor of Shanghai, visitors can watch these artists practice their craft – calligraphy, paper kite construction, carving, and much more. Later, stop for refreshment around the corner at the Guyuan Teahouse, where in an intimate setting, you can enjoy a choice of traditional teas and a plate of pumpkin seeds.

4:30pm: The antidote to a hard day of urban exploration is a foot rub at Lulu Massage. Plunge your toes into a bath of scalding water and Chinese medicinal herbs and let the blind man or woman – by far the best-qualified folks to be giving massage – work their magic.

5:30pm: The perfect atmosphere for the first drink of the day is provided by Yongfoo Elite. Here, decadence is the main theme, from the stained-glass pocket doors upstairs to the 150s green Gucci sofas in the lounge. It’s hard to believe that the villa functioned as a properly decked-out British Consulate in the 1980s and ’90s. Drinks are superbly-crafted and well presented, with a Cosmopolitan being the most apt choice.

7:30pm: For traditional Japanese food served in a comfortable setting, try Meshi in a renovated Taikang Lu lane house. You can choose to dine on any of three levels overlooking the adjacent courtyards. The space is slow and the sake is warm.

9:30pm: What do we like about Glamour Bar? Well, just about everything. Wind up your itinerary at this sophisticated watering hole famed for its perfect cocktails, professional staff, uplifting music and stunning views, both interior and exterior. Waiter, another Champagne cocktail,  please …

2am: If you are feeling puckish, end your night with a quick trip to the ever-bright Charmant for some Taiwanese fare. Any of the sweet and spicy delights will do, but nothing beats a plate of sanbeiji and lots of hot tea.

Serving the needs of communities from the same province or area, these groups were organized on the basis of labor which had traditionally been divided along regional lines: tea traders from Anhui, carpenters from Canton, blacksmiths from Wuxi, silk merchants from Zhejiang and Jiangsu and machinists from Ningbo and Shaoxing.
Whole industries came to be dominated by certain groups, so that Shanghai homebuyers, for example, would commonly remark that without the involvement of a Huizhu person (from Anhui ), they stood little chance of getting a mortgage.

Anhui people were also renowned as pawn brokers; indeed, wherever they wet up shop, there would invariably be huaiyang (Anhui-style) restaurants nearby. These clan members may have been inhabitants of China’s most diverse and thriving metropolis, but years after leaving their homes, most preferred to stay cloistered among their own kind, eating at home-style restaurants, listening to opera in their native dialect, even visiting bordellos that offered women from their own region.

On a more practical level, and as a testament to the influence and reach of these groups, they built ornately decorated halls which served as meeting places and a source of vital social services. The Huzhou Silk Merchants Association from Zhejiang, for example, offered food and medicine,-as well as coffins and military expenses for their kinsmen during the Taiping Rebellion (1851-54).

At the beginning of the Republican Era (1911-1949), however, the native place associations, and Shanghai as a whole, underwent great change. During this period, the city became the leading financial center in Asia and its population swelled to three million. One result was that the new working classes increasingly rejected the parochial attitudes of the native place associations. Meanwhile, intellectuals such as Hu Shi and Mao Dun called for a reappraisal of traditional Chinese institutions (such as Confucianism) – institutions which were strongly supported by the native place associations.

In short, after having finally thrown off the imperial yoke in 1912, many Chinese rejected paternalistic control, be it exercised by kinship associations or the Western powers. The associations’ resources and continuing relevance were further undermined by the all-out efforts of Shanghai’s anti-Japanese resistance. Indeed, one consequence of the city’s occupation during this troubled time was a population outflow, which directly reversed earlier immigration trends and the strength of the associations.

And yet, against the odds, the clan associations survived. The economic reforms instigated by Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s brought a new influx of migration to China’s cities, including Shanghai, prompting the re-emergence of tongxianghui, albeit in less institutionalized settings. Many non-Shanghainese university students, for instance, have formed casual groups which host various activities, including classes in their native dialect.

One way or another, it seems the distinct peoples of this hybrid melting pot we call Shanghai will endeavor to keep alive their cultures, customs and ties, however long they may be away from home.

        In Shanghai, the Edwardian style lasted long past the great War – until the early 1930s, in fact. At the time, the city was just starting to experience revolutionary challenges to the political status quo and things were still mightily conservative amongst the moneyed gentry. Harking back to stately neoclassical design elements therefore fit the mood of the upper classes, and the British, America, Japanese nd even well-off Chinese (who built more buildings that any other group in old Shanghai) tended to select historic styles like Edwardian.

       While Shanghai and other such outposts of overseas empires kept to conservative architecture, Continental Europe largely did an about-face. In the years before and immediately after the first world war, Europe began embracing modern design concepts that were to develop into groundbreaking styles like art deco, Bauhaus and cubism. It wasn’t until after Palmer & Tuner’s Egyptian-esque art deco Cathay Hotel (now the north wing of the Peace Hotel) that Shanghai turned with confidence to new styles.
 
       Most of the city’s Edwardian buildings were built as middle-class Chinese residences. Yes, we’re talking about the famed longtang, the Shanghainese buildings as Edwardian. First, the structures were usually constructed out of large red bricks, breaking the link to earlier Shanghai residences that were often made of the smaller gray bricks that were quarried locally. Second, the presence of fireplaces and wooden windows shows that the houses were warmed sparingly and imperfectly ( other residences of the time had steam radiator systems and steel-framed windows that wouldn’t warp with sustained heart in winter ). Next, and assort-mimicking architraves around windows and doors, were necessary to give the structure some detailing. Final telltale symbols were the X-like crosses and diamonds in the wooden window frames. Combined, these details give the longtang a stately, but never really beautiful, guise.
 
       It is interesting to note here that housing styles both before and after the Edwardian in Shanghai had many more characteristics that made them regionally Chinese. For example, the Comprador-style buildings of the 19th and early 20th-centuries would have seemed completely out of place in other parts of the world. Likewise, by the middle of the 1930s there were many buildings in Shanghai – the Bank of China on the Bund comes to mind styles. Perhaps this was due not only to the above-mentioned conservative nature o Shanghai buildings, but also to the spread of print and celluloid media during the 1920s.
 
       Check out examples of Shanghai’s Edwardian architecture by making your way to the middle of the city; to the residential areas that were developed in the 1920s. a swathe of Edwardian residences was recently demolished along the eastern flank of Shimen Yi Lu and parts of the old Chinese city to the west of Yuyuan; however, Nanchang Lu and Shanxi Bei Lu are still home to many Edwardian laneways. Fashions may change, but architecture has a wonderful tenacity to endure against the odds.

1882 Yan’an Xi Lu, by Zhongshan Xi Lu, Changning District
Tel: 6237 3678

East China Normal University

3663 Zhongshan Bei Lu, by Jinshajiang Lu, Putuo Dstrict
Tel: 6223 3333
Website: www.ecnu.edu.cn

East China University of Politics and Law

1575 Wanhangdu Lu, Changning District
Tel: 6207 1888
Website:  www.ecupl.edu.cn

East China University of Science and Technology

130 Meilong Lu, by laohumin Lu, Xuhui District
Tel: 6425 3300
Website: www.ecust.edu.cn

Fudan University

220 Handan Lu, by Guoshun Lu, Yangpu District
Tel: 6564 2222
Website: www.fudan.edu.cn

IFA Paris

350 Xianxia Lu, by Gugei Lu
Tel: 6275 0055
Website: www.ifa-edu.cn

LaSalle-DHU International Design College

832 Xinhua Lu, by Zhongshan Xi Lu, Xuhui District
Tel: 6237 3132
Website: www.raffles-design.com.cn

Shanghai Conservatory of Music

20 Fenyang Lu, by Huaihai Lu, Xuhui District
Tel: 6437 0137
Website: www.shcmusic.edu.cn

Shanghai Institute of Forign Trade

620 Gubei Lu, by Xianxia Lu, Changning District
Tel: 6274 0137
Website: www.shift.edu.cn

Shanghai International Studies University

550 Dalian Xi Lu, by Tiyuhui Lu, Hongkou District
Tel: 6531 1900
Website: www.shisu.edu.cn

Shanghai Jiaotong University

1) 1954  Huashan Lu, by Guangyuan Xi Lu, Xuhui District
2) 800 Dongchuan LU, Minhang District
Tel: 5474 0000
Website: www.sjtu.edu.cn

Those whose tastes lean more towards the classical would do well to catch the Music after Six series of concerts at Jin Mao Concert Hall. As the title states, the music begins after six - 6:30 pm to be precise - and runs a brisk 45 minutes, so supper need not be delayed too long. In addition to being short and sweet, the series features interesting pairings, rather than the usual checklist of classical blue chip brands. For example, Beethoven’s “String Trio Op.9″ performed on the same bill as “Duo for Violin and Cello”, by one of the former’s lesser-known contemporaries; Carl Stamitz provides historical context, and proof, if any were needed, of why Beethoven’s music merits the stature it has long enjoyed.

While the educational aim of the After Six series is laudable, Zi Liang’s concert at the Oriental Arts Center merely pandered to audience pretensions. Following a perfunctory run through Smetana’s Moldau the orchestra launched into a saccharine medley of classical works - Zi’s Mass, a bland “Kyrie” followed by a meandering “Gloria” - in a failed effort to grant prestige to the proceedings.

There is hope, however; this month Shanghai will host preeminent pipa virtuoso Wu Man, who will share the stage with the venerable Kronos Quartet. Wu has long blended traditional Chinese music with works by contemporary composers to great acclaim. With music by Tan Dun, Sigur Ros and Terry Riley on the program, this concert promises to be a timely lesion in musical outreach.

Lastly, the Yu Feng Theater (where the immortal James Brown played his first and sadly last concert in China) will host one-night only performances by Ziggy Marley and Kenny G on March 27 and 29, respectively. Granted, Mr. Kenneth Gorelick needs no introduction, but few fans are aware that the multi-platinum smooth jazz sax man got his start with Barry white’s Love Unlimited Orchestra and later played with rocker Steve Miller. That said, audiences can expect an evening of what G does best; crowd-pleasing instrumental pop.