huangpu and suzhou creek

HUANGPU RIVER & SUZHOU CREEK

River of Life Whuangpu / Woosung Shanghais 15 mile link to the South China Sea is via the Huangpu (yellow bank) River. The much smaller Suzhou Creek joins the Huangpu in the heart of the present day city at the northern end of the Bund and runs in an east-west direction, linking Shanghai inland to the ancient city of Suzhou and beyond to Lake Taihu. Shanghai was founded in the Song Dynasty (960 to 1279) and became important as a port from 1291 based on its conduits for trade with the surrounding regions which were Chinas richest for cotton and agricultural production. Surprisingly, given the different sizes of the two rivers today, the Huangpu used to be a tributary of Suzhou Creek. Maps from the 11th century show the Woosung (as

Suzhou Creek was then called) to be an immense sheet of water up to 5 miles wide and the Whuangpu (as the Huangpu was then known) was then an insignificant canal linking the village of Lungua directly to the sea. But following an enormous flood in 1403 the Emperor embarked on an extensive dyke-and dam-building programme and diverted waters from the Woosong and in this process the Whuangpu was widened and deepened too. By 1569, the Woosung had contracted significantly and the Whuangpu became the larger river. After the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842, China was forced to open to international trade and Shanghai became a key port. At that time, international communities were allowed to self-govern in separate areas of the city and Suzhou Creek formed the boundary between the British concession (on its south bank) and the American settlement (on the north). Both concessions were merged into the International Settlement in 1863 and, when the Japanese

invaded Shanghai in 1937, the river once again formed a boundary, this time between the combined international settlement on the south and the Japanese concession on the north. When foreigners arrived in large numbers in Shanghai, the Woosung became known as Soochow (or Suzhou) Creek after Suzhou, the ancient city in Shanghais neighbouring Jiangsu province.

Huangpu River & Suzhou Creek was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2008 Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Councils Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Programme www.riversoftheworld.org


River of Life Huangpu

Shanghai (meaning above the sea) stands just 15 miles south of the mouth of the River Yangtze. It is a gateway to an estimated 400 million people who live within that great rivers catchment area and Shanghais growth and subsequent international importance is due largely to this strategic trading location. Today, the 114km-long Huangpu is Shanghais major shipping conduit. In the city, it is an average of 400 metres wide and it divides the city into two regions. The historic centre of the city, the Puxi area, is located on the western side while the new Pudong financial district has developed on the eastern bank. Shanghai is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world, with over 20 million people in its extended metropolitan area. As a result of its dense population and limited fresh water supply, Shanghai draws much of its water for domestic and industrial use from fairly far upstream. In fact, 80% of the citys supply comes from the upstream Huangpu, where the river is polluted to such an extent that it requires extensive treatment plus boiling before consumption. Historically, before the city built river intakes, much of the Shanghais water was pumped from wells. But after land in the city centre sunk by 1.7m from 1921 to 1965, the leadership recognized the importance of not drawing groundwater from the marshy subsoil beneath the city proper. Throughout history, the Huangpu has been a constant flood threat

and Shanghai has had to build 318km of flood walls to protect the city. The new elevated embankments along the Bund, built in the 1990s, are a recent addition to Shanghais flood defenses. However, a more radical solution is currently being explored. Shanghai has come up with a proposal to build a dam on the Huangpu in the northern Baoshan District. Shanghais urban plan is impressively green and, encouragingly, riverside walkways and urban parks are seen as a vital part of these new schemes. Much of Shanghais urban redevelopment is based around the twin axes of the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek. Old docks and factories, many of them chemical and textile operations, have been removed and relocated into outlying suburbs to

make way for prestigious new buildings designed by the worlds best architects and high-density housing tower blocks. Many of these schemes are being rushed to completion in time for 2010 when Shanghai hosts the World Expo.



Polluted River River Rehab

Originating from Lake Taihu, some 127km from its confluence with the Huangpu, Suzhou Creek has historically been considered Shanghai's most polluted waterway. But it wasnt always that way. In the early part of the 20th century Suzhou Creek was a delightful park-lined waterway. But it deteriorated following the Japanese invasion in the 1930s. Slums and industrial sweatshops sprang up on what had been beautiful parkland, to be followed in the post-war period by heavy polluting industries. Year after year, the waterway became increasingly glazed over with black dirt and began emitting an appalling foul smell that old-time residents have never forgotten. In 1985, a report pointed out that every day, Shanghai was dumping over 2 million tons of pollution into the stream and that its waters

were one of the most contaminated in China. It revealed that if left unchecked, by the year 2000 the level of pollution in food chain and its knock-on effect on cancer would push up death rates in Shanghai to amongst the highest in China. This report was such a shock that the municipal government initiated radical plans to clean the river. In 1998, authorities launched the Suzhou Creek Rehabilitation Project, a 12-year programme to improve the water quality, flood defenses and wastewater management. The first step was to close and relocate the polluting factories. However, even having done this there was little improvement in the water quality. This was because the river bed itself was severely contaminated and pollution was still entering the Creek from 35 branch streams, from domestic sewerage, from run-off from streets and from agricultural seepage. The solution was to cut off, in turn, the tributary streams and divert their water into canals for treatment. This allowed the stream bed to be dredged and contaminated silt to be removed. This material was then made into bricks for the construction industry. Meanwhile, eco-friendly bacteria and oxygen were introduced into the waters which ate up organic substances. The water was then pumped and filtered through six successive beds to reduce its contamination to an acceptable level before being reintroduced back into the now scoured stream. The estimated cost of returning Suzhou Creek back to the state that nature had intended is estimated at approximately 1.2 billion. But such expenditure seems justified given the vast potential for economic regeneration in this decaying area. Originally, all the abandoned factories and old warehouses along Suzhou Creek were set be demolished in favour of constructing modern high-rise buildings. However, following initiatives by artists in the late 1990s, some pockets of the riverside have been designated as protected heritage zones and here the warehouses have been conserved, providing workshop and gallery spaces for artists together with boutiques and bistros that give it an edgy, bohemian atmosphere.



Resourceful River Old Shanghai

In the 16th century, Japanese forces and complicit Chinese pirates, who for centuries had plagued the coast of China, attacked the city with increased frequency. In response, the residents built a 2 mile city wall around their settlement. It was 24 foot high and was surrounded by a 30 foot ditch. Within the city there were five major streams with many smaller tributaries. The footpaths and roads tended to follow the line of these waterways, with over 100 bridges crossing them throughout the city. These tidal waterways caused severe problems. When heavy rain combined with high tides flooding could result. By the early 20th century the streams were filled in or covered over and replaced by roads. After 1681, the threat from pirates and other enemies was considered to have passed and

the ban on international trade was lifted. Some of Shanghais most important streets developed along the river bank outside the city wall where commercial activities flourished. To combat flooding, wharves were built connected to the mainland above the high water mark. From this time, a vehicle ferry connected to Pudong on the opposite bank. Boat owners were among the most prosperous and numerous merchants in Shanghai in the 18th century, commonly owning 30 to 50 boats each. Only the largest merchant ships serving the China coast dared to navigate the treacherous currents at the mouth of the Huangpu and Yangtze, while most boats plied the local rivers and waterways. The most elaborate boat, built in 1715, belonged to the Commercial Boat

Association (Shang Chuan Huigan) its design was so elaborate that foreigners often mistook it for a temple. Shanghais status as a major world port had long been threatened by the treacherous Woosung sand bar that forced modern sea-going ships to offload their cargo onto lighters for the remaining 15-mile journey to Shanghai. Up until it was finally dredged in 1910, these shallow sand bars at the mouth of the Yangtze inhibited external traders from entering China. Sailing junks draw water between 5 to 10 feet and for them the sand bars were no problem; the issue was with foreign iron-built ships that drew water 20 feet or more. For almost 100 years, Chinese officials refused or ignored foreign petitions to dredge the bars, only relenting in 1905. When the sandbanks vanished Shanghai took her place as one of the worlds great trading cities and the Yangtze, linked to the metropolis by the Huangpu, became an international highway into the very heart of China.



Working River Opium

In 1757, the Emperor declared Canton (present day Guangzhou) to be the only port open to foreigners, providing the city with a monopoly on trade with the West. On the other hand, the East India Company had exclusive rights to British trade in China. Britain had hoped to raise considerable income through the export of British wool and cotton products to China. Instead, imports of Chinese silk and tea into the UK were greater leaving an inequality in their balance of trade. The answer to Britains problems was opium, which Britain imported from India and sold to China. The Chinese began to blend opium and tobacco and smoke the mixture in the 17th century. The habit was such a problem that authorities made the first attempt to ban the drug in 1729. Trade continued through unofficial channels and by the beginning of the 19th century with the drug now being smoked pure, it was being imported into China in huge quantity. The British were the major importers by the 1830s opium made up half the goods that the British sold in China. Corruption and unfair trading fuelled a rapidly deteriorating relationship between the Chinese and foreigners in Canton, providing the impetus for foreign merchants

to seek alternative inroads into Chinas vast and untapped commercial potential. Back in the UK, sensing huge profits to be made, extensive lobbying resulted in the East India Companys trade monopoly with China being abolished in 1834. The problem most businesses still faced however was how to get a toehold in the Orient. The infamous Opium war with China (1840-3) was brought about by the Emperors failed attempt to halt the illegal smuggling of opium into Canton by foreign ships. The resulting Treaty of Nanking of 1842 legitimized foreign trade, including the trade in opium, in Shanghai and four other key ports. Later treaties established rights for foreigners to buy land and for their misdemeanours to be judged under their own, rather than under Chinese law. This principle of extraterritoriality on Chinese soil lasted until 1943. From this situation two cities emerged: a chaotic Chinese city within its ancient city walls and a western city, inhabitated mainly by Chinese. The western part of Shanghai was one of the most modern "European" cities in the world. New inventions like electricity and trams were quickly introduced, and westerners turned Shanghai into a huge metropolis. British and American businessmen made a great deal of money in trade and finance. But trade in opium was all pervasive. In 1890 there may have been 15 million addicts in China and thousands of people, from dealers to financiers, involved in supplying them.



River City The Public Gardens

The triangular piece of land at the confluence of Suzhou Creek with the Huangpu has long been of key strategic importance in Shanghai. Initially a fort was located here to ward off foreign sea vessels. In the 19th century, when Shanghai was opened to trade by the Treaty of Nanking, the British chose it as the location for their consulate. By the 1860s the British Consulate gave up the corner of land at the northern end of the Bund for a Public Garden and by 1968 the newly landscaped gardens, set out like an English park complete with bandstand, were open to the public. From its earliest days however, the gardens were barred to most Chinese. The 1903 regulations posted on the garden gates stated that no Chinese are admitted except servants in attendance upon foreigners. Today, the Public Gardens are largely paved over and are known as Huangpu Park. It is the site of the high-rising Monument to the People's

Heroes. The structure was built by the Shanghai municipal government in the 1990s to commemorate revolutionary martyrs as well as those who have lost their lives fighting natural disasters. The structure stands 24 metres tall, and is built in the stylised shape of three rifles standing against each other. The surrounding paved area is used by locals for morning exercises.Many think that the Monument is an eyesore and detracts from the elegance of the Bund. Beside the Public Garden, straddling the former British and American Settlements, is the Garden Bridge over Suzhou Creek. Before its construction, the residents of Hangkou, mostly American at the time, relied on a ferry to take them across the creek. Constructed in 1856, the 394 foot wooden drawbridge could be raised to allow larger boats to pass, and there was a small toll to pay for those who wanted to cross

on foot which caused resentment within the local Chinese population. In 1871 the wooden bridge was replaced by an iron one which collapsed before completion. Another wooden bridge followed in 1873 and this one was free to cross. At the turn of the century the advent of cars and trams necessitated a new bridge and following an open competition a steel structure called Waibaidu Bridge was opened in 1908. It is by no means a pretty structure and was expected to have a lifespan of 40 years, but it is still in place today and, despite impressive new designs now spanning the Huangpu, it is Shanghais most famous bridge.



River City The Bund

From the latter half of the 19th century, the Bund was the very core of foreign, and in particular British, life in Shanghai. The name bund is of Hindu origin and signifies an artificial causeway or embankment. There were 52 grand buildings in different architectural styles built along its esplanade front. The top floors housed the most spacious and luxurious apartments and its elite inhabitants wined and dined at The Shanghai Club. Bands played in its English-style garden, whilst the nearby Lyceum Theatre hosted Gilbert & Sullivan and home-grown British farces. The Bund housed the finest restaurants, bars and ballrooms and the latest Paris fashions were on display in nearby Sassoon House. Not only did the Bund provide the comforts of home, it also looked like home. Number 12, the former Hong Kong Shanghai Bank, was the grandest

when it opened and was described as the finest building east of the Suez. The Shanghai Club was located at Number 2. Affiliated to gentlemens clubs in India and other parts of the Empire, it was an exclusive domain administered by strict codes of social and personal conduct. The Club was famous for its Long Bar which stretched over 110 feet. Established club members gathered at the waterfront end of the bar whilst newcomers to Shanghai, known as griffins, were relegated to the other end. According to Shanghai tradition, newcomers were griffins for one year, one month, one week, one day, one hour, one minute and one second. After that, they became fully fledged Shanghailanders and the longer they stayed, the further up the length of the bar they progressed. The Club prided itself on its exclusivity; Chinese were not permitted to enter nor, except on rare occasions, were women. The Cathay Hotel, at number 20, opened in 1929 and became legendary for its excellent cuisine, luxurious accommodation and lavish entertainment. It was Shanghais premier Saturday night venue with everything from musical folly to classical concerts, from tea parties and pompous balls to fabulous fancy dress parties. In 1949, the Cathay was requisitioned by the Communist Party and, having been used as an office block for years when much of its amazing dcor was vandalised, it reopened as the Peace Hotel in 1956. With Pudong on the eastern bank of the Huangpu emerging as Shanghais new business and financial centre, the Bund has now had to find a new civic identity and it is being developed as a world class showcase for the arts, gastronomy and shopping. But this is proving to be a challenge with the 11-lane highway that currently bisects the space between the river and the buildings. On the riverside there is an elevated walkway, built in the early 1990s as a flood defense, with fast-food outlets and tacky souvenir shops; whilst on the other side of the motorway there are world-class restaurants and international designer-shops.



River City Decadence & Communism

The 1920s and 1930s were Shanghais most decadent era and even today the name conjures up images of wicked glamour and sophistication. The city, known as "the Paris of the East", was the hot spot of the Far East, a teeming port near the mouth of the Yangtze where East met West and decadence reigned. High rollers, film stars, fashion victims and entrepreneurs of all kinds crowded the grand hotels, ornate banks, trading houses, docks and nightclubs. The citys name became a verb: to be shanghaied was to be kidnapped and whisked away to a life of high crimes and misdeameanors, all done with style. During this period, almost 20,000 Russians, many of them Jews, fled the newly-established Soviet Union, took up residence in Shanghai and in so doing, created the citys second-largest foreign community. Many of these destitute white women bacame night club dancers and prostitutes which fuelled Shaghais exotic and decadent reputation. The Japanese bombed Shanghai in 1932 and there was further conflict in 1937 which resulted in the Japanese occupation of parts of Shanghai outside of the International Settlement and the French Concession. The International Settlement itself was occupied by the Japanese in 1941 and remained occupied until their surrender in 1945. During World War II, Shanghai was a centre for European refugees. It was the only city in the world that was open unconditionally to Jews and as a consequence, the foreign population rose from 35,000 in 1936 to 150,000 in 1942. Germany wanted Japan to exterminate the Jews of Shanghai, but Japan only put them into a ghetto. The Japanese were harsher to the British, Americans and Dutch. They slowly lost their privileges and had to wear a B, A or N to designate their nationality when walking in public places. Their villas were turned into new brothels and gambling houses. In 1943, the British, Americans and Dutch were force-marched into concentration camps. After the Communist Party took control of Shanghai in May 1949, most foreign firms moved their offices from Shanghai to Hong Kong. One of the first actions taken by the communist party was to clean up the portion of the population that were considered counter-revolutionaries. Mass executions took place with thousands slaughtered in the hands of the communist party. During the 1950s and 1960s, Shanghai developed as an

industrial centre. Even during the most tumultuous times of the Cultural Revolution, Shanghai was able to maintain high economic productivity and relative social stability. However, this came at the cost of severely crippling Shanghai's infrastructure and capital development.



River City The Dragon Awakes

Since 1988, Shanghai has undergone one of the fastest economic expansions the world has ever seen. Its population is officially 13.5 million, although unofficial figures put the population at closer to 20 million and it seems certain to recapture its position as East Asias leading business centre, a status it held before World War II. Shanghais massive investment in infrastructure and buildings through the 1990s was astonishing in scope. New communication systems, the citys first subway and first highways, the worlds two longest single-span bridges, a new airport, 1,300km of roads, improved water systems, more than 4,000 high rise buildings and better housing, hotels and public facilities were all planned and built. Shanghais transformation was undertaken with an almost revolutionary zeal, changing permamently the face of the city in a matter of years, no more so than in Pudong, Shanghais modern development area. Since 1993, the worlds best architecture firms had been invited to submit masterplans for the development of Pudong. Some of these masterplans gave a coherent vision for the growth of a new city built to address climate change a looming environmental crisis of which the world was only just becoming aware. However, city officials rejected the masterplans and Pudong was developed in haphazard fashion and some commentators think

that this lack of a coherent urban plan is setting up massive congestion, pollution and social problems for the future.

Whereas in the 19th and 20th centuries buildings on the Bund came to symbolise Shanghai, the character of the 21st century city is reflected on the other side of the River Huangpu in Pudongs skyline, and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in particular has become the iconic building of new metropolis. At 468m in height, it is Asias tallest building. It houses a luxury hotel, restaurant and public viewing gallery. After dark this whole skyline is dramatically transformed with monumental illuminations, state of the art architectural lighting schemes and digital advertising screens that cover the whole faade of some of the skyscrapers. Shanghai continues to be at the cutting edge of urban development and is focusing considerable resources on staging the World Expo in 2010. For the six months from 1st May in that year, the spotlight will be on Shanghai and the city is expecting some 70 million visitors. The Expo site, which is impressively green, is located between Nanpu Bridge and Lupu Bridge along both sides of the Huangpu River (see illustration on the left). The chosen theme is Better City, Better Life it will be the first World Exposition to focus on the theme of the city and the site makes much of its waterfront location.




River of Culture River Races

Started in 2002, the Suzhou Creek dragon boat race is one of Shanghais greatest annual sporting events. More than 30 teams compete on the 250-metre watercourse from the Changhua Road Bridge to the Jiangning Road Bridge. The Duan Wu Jie or Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Dumpling Festival, is held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month (May). The two main elements are dragon boat races and the eating of rice "dumplings", known as zongi. The sport is widely known as a commemoration of the death of Qu Yuan, a poet and revered official during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). Qu had protested against the corrupt court of his native State of Chu and was stripped of his office as a minister of state. Sent into exile by the king and his political foes, Qu wandered the countryside, unhappy and dejected. The collapse of the State of Chu following the invasion by its stronger neighbours was the last straw for Qu. He despaired and finally flung himself into the Miluo River in what is now Hunan Province. When local fishermen learned of Qu's suicide, they desperately raced out in their

boats, trying to save their beloved poet, beating drums to scare off the fish that they thought would eat his body. They also dropped rice dumplings (zongzi) in the water as a sacrifice to his spirit. The scene of the fishermen racing out to save Qu is reenacted every year in the form of dragon boat racing. Paddlers race in boats that are always colourfully decorated with dragon designs. The sport requires team members to move in unison, combining strength and teamwork in a boat. That's why each boat carries a steersman (cox) and a drummer, along with the paddlers. These days, there are dragon boat crews and races all over the world. The new yacht museum in Changfeng, one of nine

museums being built along the creek, will include displays and other information about dragon boat culture. These new attractions and many others will benefit from plans to build piers along Suzhou Creek and reintroduce ferries and pleasure cruises. The intention is to develop tourism and further reinvigorate Shanghais long-neglected waterway.

huangpu and suzhou creek

Documents

ancient city of suzhou

smaller suzhou creek

tributary of suzhou

huangpu yellow bank

long huangpu

river yangtze

larger river

largest city