Archive photos show 70 years of achievement

2019-09-20

A visitor photographs historical images exhibited by the Shanghai Archives at Shanghai Tower in Pudong.

Over 100 photos and documents from the Shanghai Archives will go on display at Shanghai Tower starting from Friday to celebrate historical milestones from the past seven decades.

The exhibition, entitled “70 Years of Memory and Witnesses of Legends,” features images of the 70 most meaningful moments since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

It is open to the public free through October 10, on the art corridor of floor B2 in the 632-meter Shanghai Tower, the world’s second-tallest building after the Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai.

The photos and archive materials showcase the achievements of both the city and China. They include photos of the first electronic analog computer developed at Fudan University in 1956; the first generation of domestically produced sedans, known as the Phoenix, rolling off from the assembly line in 1958; China’s first 10,000-ton hydraulic press machine unveiled in 1962; the world’s first synthetic bovine insulin crystal in 1965; as well as the maiden flight of China’s home-grown C919 jet in 2017.

The exhibit also focuses on the city’s urban development. Several groups of photos demonstrate the great changes and progress of the city.

One photo shows the establishment of the city’s first large-scale public structure, the former Sino-Soviet Friendship Building, known as the Shanghai Exhibition Center from 1955, while another photo shows the opening of the first China International Import Expo in 2018.

Visitors look at a historical photo exhibited by the Shanghai Archives at Shanghai Tower in Pudong.

A photo taken in 1990 shows the nation’s first stock exchange, launched at the historic Astor House Hotel along the Huangpu River; while another photo taken this year shows China's new science and technology innovation board.

The exhibition showcases improvements in living conditions and urban amenities too. Photos recall the establishment of China’s first Worker’s community, the Caoyang Community in 1952; the opening of Xinghuoriye Food Store, Shanghai’s first 24-hour convenience store; as well as the opening of the first cross-river tunnel, the Dapu Road Tunnel in 1971; the Nanpu Bridge in 1991; Metro Line 1 in 1993; and the world’s first maglev line for commercial use in 2002.

A group of photos show the already-prosperous scene of Nanjing Road in the 1930s, as well as the opening of the pedestrian mall in 1999, along with more recent images.

In the latest government blueprints, the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall is to be extended eastward to the Bund to satisfy growing visitor traffic and make it one of the world's finest commercial walking streets.

The exhibition is one of 14 serial events in Pudong for the 2019 Shanghai Tourism Festival, which opened on September 14.

Source: SHINE Editor: Cai Wenjun