Witness a new dawn: The Battle of Shanghai

To mark the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of Shanghai, the city has launched six episodes on the subject. 

The documentary series presents the story of the city's liberation from the perspective of the westerners who were in Shanghai in 1949, including diplomats, journalists, doctors and businessmen.

The short films also use English historical material. Besides reports from The New York Times, the Associated Press and Reuters at the time, they also features reports from local English-language newspapers, such as the North China Daily News and The Millard's Review, as well as memoirs, diaries and unpublished oral histories of those who were living in Shanghai at the time.

"I'm going to tell a story that almost no foreigners have ever told," said American professor Andrew Field, guest host of the film series. Field has a background in East Asian history and has lived in Shanghai for more than 20 years. 

First episode: The Battle of Shanghai

In May 1949, as the Battle of Shanghai turned heated, the General Post Office Building, one of the finest buildings in the heart of the city at the time, became the centerpiece of the Nationalists' plan to prepare their urban warfare defenses. 

The standoff at Suzhou River lasted almost two days. Despite heavy casualties, the People's Liberation Army on the south bank waited patiently and chose to encircle the line of defense instead of blasting their way through. No foreign residents in the Embankment Building were hurt.

Residents later found out that the PLA was strictly instructed not to use any kind of artillery inside the city, and they were not allowed to enter any private property, no matter what the sacrifice.

Shanghai's finest buildings were left intact.