City archives exhibits hundreds of rare documents
Visitors view an exhibition on how Shanghai helped other Chinese regions eliminate poverty at the Shanghai Archives on Tuesday.
In honor of International Archives Day, the Shanghai Archives unveiled a set of documents on Tuesday on how the city has helped its citizens and other Chinese regions eliminate poverty over recent decades.
Over 200 historical documents, photos, artifacts and videos are displayed at the archives on the Bund and online.
The items, including many shared with the public for the first time, mainly showcase how Shanghai assisted other Chinese regions after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, especially after the reform and opening-up, said Xu Weiwan, curator of the archives.
Efforts include the flood prevention campaign on the Huaihe River in the 1950s, the relocation of Shanghai factories to inland cities, the relocation of Shanghai Jiao Tong University to the west, relief efforts after the Tangshan earthquake in 1976 as well as the city’s assistance to Tibet, Xinjiang and Yunnan.
Documents on how Shanghai medical teams have assisted Wuhan in central China’s Hubei Province during the novel coronavirus outbreak since February are also being displayed at the exhibition, which is accessible online due to COVID-19 prevention concerns (www.archives.sh.cn/wszl/pc/).
As part of the exhibition, a group of photos recall the improvement of Shanghai people’s lives.
Visitors view an exhibition on how Shanghai helped other Chinese regions eliminate poverty at the Shanghai Archives on Tuesday.
A photo of Shanghai's first fashion model team, established in 1981.
An old photo shows how local people bought clothes at an outdoor bazaar on Huating Road in the 1980s, which is compared with newly taken photos during the city’s ongoing Double Five Shopping Festival.
Another two old photos display barren lands at Xintiandi and Lujiazui during the 1980s, compared with the prosperity of the two landmarks today.
The recent COVID-19 outbreak reminds locals of a similar hepatitis A epidemic in 1988. A historical photo shows a long line of people waiting in front of the Xuhui District Central Hospital in the winter of that year.
Since its establishment in 2008, International Archives Day aims to raise awareness among the public of the importance of archives.
"Everyone keeps archives, in a private or professional setting. Through this universal day, we wish to democratize the profession of archivist and improve the perception of the general public regarding the notion of archives," said David Leitch, secretary general of the International Council on Archives.
The city’s archives has launched two-week serial events to celebrate the occasion. They include exhibitions, lectures and storytelling activities.
The archives also opened its online resources to the public on Tuesday. Over 23,000 pieces of documentation are publicized on the digital platform of the archives on its official website (www.archives.sh.cn). Only Chinese language is available.
The first batch of released archives includes those about the early industrial alliances developed in the city as well as historical documents of many time-honored brands.
Locals shop at a wet market on Shiliupu Wharf in 1979.
A large swarm of cyclists in 1980s Shanghai.
Children watch television at a shop in Songjiang District in the 1980s.
A long line of people wait in front of Xuhui District Central Hospital in the winter of 1988 during the hepatitis A epidemic.
