“Beijing Siheyuan, Shanghai Shikumen”, the daily life in Shikumen was the warmest memory of Shanghai people. Nowadays, there are many high-rise buildings, and the life in the lanes of old Shikumen has gradually faded away, but the memory cannot be erased, so photographers Jiang Qingqing and Xi Zi made a special trip to visit the lanes of Shanghai and create a "cultural map". In this issue of "Disappearance and Rebirth", Life Weekly reporters will, under the introduction of two photographers, enter the representative lanes and lanes to deconstruct the warmth and sadness of this lane life.
Text/Tang Chenghua
Shikumen
The most distinctive residential house in Shanghai. It is named after the two thick wooden doors with black paint and the stone door frame. The diversity and complexity of Shikumen residences have formed a unique Shanghai living style, established the unique lane culture of modern Shanghai, and become a unique lifestyle that distinguishes other regions.
There are many old-style lanes in Shanghai. As Shanghai’s unique resources and brands, they should be properly protected. But protection does not mean refusing to transform, nor does it mean living in a dilapidated place. I believe that dilapidated places must be eliminated to provide residents with a better living environment, but Shikumen itself cannot be eliminated.
—— Ruan Yisan
The sun was squeezed out, empty the toilet, and go to the public bathroom to take a bath
The sun at eight or nine o'clock in the morning cannot shine in Tongfuli, so the grandma of the Shen family always had to wait until noon before moving out a stool and sitting at the entrance of the alley to "hatch the sun". The sunshine in early spring was lazy and pleasant. Grandma Shen's eyes were squinted, listening to the Shanghai Opera, Shaoxing Opera or Huangmei Opera coming from the semiconductor. It’s always those few arias, the same old tricks over and over again. "You can't change the habits you've developed over decades of living in an old house." Her son Shen Zhenqing said with a smile.
The Shen family moved into Tongfuli in 1973. At that time, there were 33 buildings in the alley, housing more than 400 families. It's crowded, but it's the "upper corner". Tongfuli is backed by Guangming, the "No. 1 Cinema in the Far East", and next to the International Hotel. "Cross the crossroad, walk to People's Park, and then walk a few steps to Nanjing East Road."
The field of view is also broad. , you can see the big clock on the roof of the Shanghai Art Museum diagonally opposite. For the residents of Tongfuli, this big clock represents "Beijing time" and also means a stable pace of life. The days pass by with endless stitches. It is not easy to make a living, but at least there is plenty of sunshine and the warmth between neighbors is long-lasting.
In the blink of an eye, the Shen family has been living in the house for almost 40 years, and the grandma of the Shen family is nearly ninety years old.
Since the 1980s, Tongfuli District has begun a process of transformation. Huanghe Road has become a lively food street, Metro Line 1 passes in front of the door, ticket prices in Daguangming increase year by year, and Nanjing Road becomes more prosperous. Related to the immediate interests of the residents, high-rise buildings have emerged one after another - there is Hongxiang Building to the east, World Trade Center Building to the south, Chong Hing Financial Building to the west, and Huangpu Building to the north. Their shadows pressed in from all directions, and the sunlight was squeezed out of the living room, the patio, and the hallway. Finally, they were defeated and scattered in all directions.
"Tongfuli has become a veritable low-lying basin." Shen Zhenqing said. The rising sun was no longer in his sight.
Under the shadow of tall buildings, life has not improved. "As usual, I empty the toilet every morning, eat breakfast, and ride the old tank to work." Since there is no independent kitchen and bathroom, cooking has to be done in the public stove. As for personal hygiene, you either use a basin with hot water to wipe yourself, or go to the public toilet. bathroom. "It was a quarter of an hour's journey, and I was sweating again after taking a shower in the summer." Shen Zhenqing felt that everything around him was changing rapidly, except for the big clock of the Shanghai Art Museum and looking at it for "counting days" of myself.
Single family, seventy-two tenants, colorful days
Tongfuli has a history of more than 90 years since it was built. At that time, as an emerging residential style, it was still very "solid" Taiwan type". "This structure is called 'three up and three down'." Shen Zhenqing introduced that the so-called three up and three down means one living room plus two wing rooms, minus one wing room, which is called "two up and two down", and then minus the living room , then only "one up and one down" is left.
"Of course three up and three down is the most authentic and typical." He said this with some pride. Sanshangsanxia in Tongfuli was originally a single-family house, and its residents were mostly gentry and wealthy businessmen. "There is a patio at the entrance. It's not big, but there are always bonsais such as pine and orchids, and a few plum trees planted in the corners.
"Across the patio and through the partitions standing side by side, you will find the living room, where you can eat and receive guests. On both sides are side rooms, pavilions, etc.
Tongfuli does not have a separate bathroom. "Anyway, there is. Rich people have servants to take care of them, so they can go to the dormitory to take a bath, so they don't really care. ”
Unexpectedly, the situation in Shanghai was turbulent in the 1930s, especially after the Anti-Japanese War broke out. A large number of people poured into the concession. The heads of households in Shikumen also accepted many relatives and friends, and the residents gradually changed from wealthy businessmen to middle-class residents. As more and more families moved in, the single-family style could no longer be maintained, so the houses were divided, divided, and then divided, and independent kitchens were used by several families. The pattern of "two tenants" was thus formed. After 1949, in order to alleviate the housing problems of ordinary citizens, Shikumen welcomed a large number of residents. So far, 17 households are crowded in No. 22 Tongfuli alone.
< p> Despite this, people with worse living conditions still longed for Shikumen. When he was a child, Shen Zhenqing lived in his grandmother’s house on Tanggu Road, which was located at the junction of Hongkou District and Zhabei District, close to a shanty town. Living in Shikumen.In 1964, 19-year-old Shen Zhenqing was sent to Daqing Oilfield as an infrastructure worker. The house they lived in was called "Gandabai" with two wooden boards in the middle. Fill it in with soil, yellow sand, lime and a mixture of soil, and a wall is ready. "Later, Shen Zhenqing lived in a courtyard house in Beijing and learned to speak Beijing movies fluently.
Living in many places led to comparisons. Due to different climates, the design of houses in different places has its own reasons, "Daqing It is minus 38 degrees Celsius in winter and 39 degrees Celsius in summer. It is warm in winter and cool in summer. Shikumen? There is no way to live there! "However, Shikumen still haunts Shen Zhenqing. He feels that living behind the beautiful and elegant lintel carvings and stone door frames will bring some color to life no matter how hard it is.
At the age of 27 , the Shen family moved into Tongfuli. “At first, they lived on the second floor. Because my mother was in poor health and it was inconvenient to go up and down the stairs, we moved to the first floor after discussing with the neighbors. "After that, because his company had an office, Shen Zhenqing stayed in Shanghai most of the time. After his daughter was born, he even built a loft.
A life that is normal in the difficult rainy season
It soon entered the 1980s. After dinner on weekdays, Shen Zhenqing often went to the People's Park. If he had money, he would go to Daguangming to watch movies. He loved foreigners with curly hair and tall noses. There is a hint of the atmosphere of "Ten Miles Foreign Market". It is the old Shanghai that my ancestors talked about.
Of course, more often than not, he and his neighbors would gather around a certain black and white TV. "Now we often use it." "Everyone is empty" is actually not accurate enough to describe the scene when "Shanghai Beach" was played. "Shen Zhenqing said, "Some people put out their TVs for everyone to watch together, so as soon as "Shanghai on the Bund" started airing, the alleyway was packed with people watching. "Soon, color TVs began to spread to ordinary people. Life became more and more lively.
However, Shen Zhenqing suddenly felt that his life was getting bleak. In 1992, he officially moved his household registration and work relationship from Beijing. Back to Shanghai. "If you think about it, you have given up a lot of things, and the loss is quite big. "But the leaves have fallen back to their roots, and they will eventually return to their hometown. At that time, Shanghai's economy was developing rapidly, and the surrounding areas of Tongfuli were transformed. However, Tongfuli itself showed no signs of taking off. "The only change is probably that the interior of the building is more dilapidated. ”
Shen Zhenqing told reporters that during the construction process of the surrounding high-rise buildings, they had a great impact and shock on the old houses in Tongfuli, so that the roofs settled, the rooms tilted, the walls cracked, and the doors and windows deformed. . Due to the destruction of the anti-mold layer, every rainy season has become an outright "torment". Shen Zhenqing really can't feel the word "blessing" in Tongfuli.
However, after so many years. In the past, only No. 1 to No. 9 were demolished, and the rest remained as they were. Affordable housing may be a way out, but Shen Zhenqing and his wife are retired and do not meet the conditions for applying for loans. Their daughter has just started working and cannot make up her mind to get a loan. One worry: Even if Mom moves to a new house, can she adapt to the lifestyle outside the alley?
As one of the few old-style alleys in Shanghai, people visit Tongfuli every day. Looking inside the poetic house, Shen Zhenqing lamented rather sadly: "The splendor of the world seems to have nothing to do with us.
"As noon approaches, Grandma Shen's family moves out a stool to catch the sun as usual. This time, Semiconductor spread the Shanghai opera: "Open a window for you..."
Discover the map of Shikumen
< p> It took about five years for Jiang Qing*** and Xi Wenlei (Xi Zi) to visit hundreds of lanes in Shanghai and take countless photos. In March this year, Tongji University Press launched "Shanghai Lanes" "Cultural Map: Shikumen".The idea of ??producing this book came about in 2006. Before that, Jiang Qingqing, a designer, and Xi Zi, a photography enthusiast, traveled around Shanghai. After a long time, they took valuable shots in various alleys, and they wanted to find a Shikumen guide book. “It turned out that they were all very professional and not easy to understand at all. "So the two decided to compile a "Shikumen Map" by themselves.
Among so many visits, the Shen family left the deepest impression on them. "From the moment he entered the alley, Mr. Shen Introducing the houses in Tongfuli one by one. "*** Jiang Qing said. He admired Shen Zhenqing's enthusiasm and memory; and he was also excited about the original Shanghai lane life preserved in Tongfuli.
Tongfuli was built in 1990 Many years ago, it was classified as a second-class old-style alley. The reporter learned that this standard was established in the 1990s. At that time, residential buildings were divided into six categories: apartments, garden residences, employee residences, new-style alleys, and simple houses. " "Second-level old alleys" are one type of old-style alleys, slightly better than "first-level old alleys".
However, Jiang Qingqing and Xi Zi focus more on beautiful things. Their photos fully highlight the external structure and details of the Shikumen, as well as the cleanliness and life-like scenes inside, making the overall appearance bright and bright. “We want to leave a memory of the Shikumen in old Shanghai. It is the most daily life in Shanghai. "***Jiang Qing said.
Interaction: Looking for disappearance and rebirth in life
Unparalleled love in Hunan: When I was a child, every township had a projector and a power generator. All villages and production teams take turns to show movies with the same title once a year. It is as lively as the New Year. Tickets are very cheap, only 5 cents per movie.
Yaya: Going to the theater is the main cultural activity there, and it is a fond memory of my childhood. Every time, the children in the village are so happy that they gather around the stage, even though they don’t understand everything. They can pretend to take a few steps and hum a few words
Konggu Youlan: Every time during the Chinese New Year, there is always a long queue to fry popcorn, which is fragrant and sweet. The taste is still unforgettable, but it is not easy to fry popcorn now. It is difficult to see the people who fry popcorn. Popcorn is leaving us.
@一平清水: Let’s talk now. Shikumen only looks like a yellow wine bottle.
@NightLing: Shikumen looks like a romantic past.