Paul French on “City of Devils”
Ahead of our City of Devils tour this Saturday (June 21, 2pm), here's author Paul French talking about the book ~ lots on interwar underworld Shanghai, rumor and gossip, old Shanghai's soundscape, plus some bonus reading recommendations. To book the walk, click here or email info@historic-shanghai.com Historic ...
>
László Hudec: Shanghai’s Master Builder
You know Hudec’s buildings: The I.S.S. Building/Normandie (Wukang Apartments), that red brick beauty shaped like a streamlined 1930s cruise ship, where hundreds gather daily, waves beneath the ship, to snap a precious photo. The Park Hotel, the dramatic Art Deco building that was Shanghai’s first skyscraper and tallest ...
>
Thanksgiving in Old Shanghai
A service of Thanksgiving. A big turkey dinner, with all the trimmings. A hotly contested football classic. It all sounds very traditional, very American, and so it was: it was Thanksgiving in 1930s Shanghai. Thanksgiving Service at Holy Trinity Left: Holy Trinity Cathedral, where Thanksgiving services were ...
>
Bookshelf: Rumors from Shanghai with Amy Sommers
In April, the Historic Shanghai Book Club read Rumors from Shanghai, a historical thriller set in 1940s Shanghai, so we sat down with author Amy Sommers to find out more about hidden histories and untold stories, the city as inspiration, surprise discoveries, and more. Get the book: In Shanghai, you can order from ...
>
Cicadas: Shanghai’s Summer Song
"All the different kinds of cicada are now in full song .... most noticeable is the longdrawn song of the big black cicada, whose strident screech fills the air for periods of half a minute to a minute at a time, ceases for a while, and then starts again." Arthur de Carle Sowerby, Nature Notes, 1938 The Shanghai Summer ...
>
Old Shanghai Eggnog
Oh, how they loved eggnog in old Shanghai. But of course: it was very boozy, very fun, and very rich, which is a pretty apt description for the spirit of old Shanghai. And luckily for us, their recipes survive. So just in time for Christmas partying, we bring you a pair of delightful, delicious 1920s ...
>
Inside Old Shanghai’s American Club
September, 2025: The 1924 Georgian jewel on Fuzhou Road sits empty, once again. The guards are gone, the Financial Court—its most recent incarnation—has packed up and moved across the river. Too many financial crimes to fit into this six-storey building, hmm? So the building that began life as Old Shanghai’s ...
>