Witness a new dawn: The Birth of the New 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newspapers, such as the North China Daily News and The Millard's Review, as well as memoirs, diaries and unpublished oral histories of those who were living in Shanghai at the time.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.

Sixth episode: The Birth of the New Shanghai

In 1949 Nanjing Road was in a bad condition. The new government of Shanghai decided to repair the road, a problem which had remained for twenty years. 

Above all was the doubt that the new government was cable of managing Shanghai. It also reflected the harsh reality facing Shanghai at the time. 

But to everyone's surprise, the repair work was completed. The newly paved street surface was built with cosmetic cement, which would have a long durability than imported asphalt. 

The road repair was one of many achievements of the new government in the first few months after they took over control of Shanghai.

It was precisely the attention to details and the people-oriented vision that helped the Communists win the hearts and minds of the Chinese people.