subject: Longtang In Shanghai [print this page] Longtangs in Shanghai are similar to Hutongs in Beijing, the lanes lined with houses where individuals have more chances to talk with one another. Within the Longtangs, people meet together, are carefully connected, thus getting forth a powerful feeling of localism, safety and family-likeness.
Local peole with various professions, different skills and various cultural levels have introduced a varied existence here. Therefore the culture of Longtangs has turned into a harmonious civil culture, creating the primary content from the local culture in Shanghai. The existence within the Longtangs is wealthy and filled with vitality. It is incorporated in the Longtangs and you'll discover the peculiar sense of people there.
Modern Shanghai required shape with the crash to 2 different cultures, the Western and also the Eastern. Therefore, the phenomenon from the integration of Chinese and Western cultures has inevitably manifested within the culture of Shanghai. In this peculiar city culture, the Longtang house is easily the most typical and representative one. Since the very first day once the Longtang house made an appearance, it absolutely was placed using the make of the integration from the cultures of East and West.
In the initial phase, the type of the Longtang house divorced in the Chinese traditional type of homes towards the south of Yangtze River, However, its general layout of 'row-upon-row' had came from from Europe. The most frequent area of the shikumen Longtang was the shikumen gate, its frame, door sections, and knockers were the qualities of Chinese traditional architecture, however the triangular pediment on curve ornaments on its lintel were entirely with western architectural designs.
The special feature of Chinese and Western integration in Longtang houses has been discovered with its architectural form, but additionally when it comes to residing in the Longtang houses. Similarly, the clear way of dwelling within the Longtang houses, specially in the shikumen houses, has stored china living traditional pattern to some large degree. However, is in no way such as the Chinese traditional homes. It had been a brand new type of homes that targeted at adapting itself towards the rhythm of just living and cost inside a modern city, meeting the requirements of capitalist economy and property business.
The Longtang is really a type of city pattern which could best reflect the feature from the Chinese and western integration in modern Shanghai.
1000's upon 1000's of Shanghai individuals are sentimentally connected to the Longtangs till now. The primary reason is the fact that a powerful human relationship dominates within the Longtang. There a great and close neighborhood relationship has had shape, which could hardly come in other modern homes. Longtang is really a location that provided the citizens more chances to talk with one another. Within the Longtangs, people always meet together, all of the citizens are carefully connected and conglomerated, thus getting forth a powerful feeling of localism, safety and family-likeness. The primary social activities in Longtangs are individuals from the old people and kids. Inside a Longtang these were never neglected because they are nowadays elsewhere. The special space arrangement within the Longtang can offer people places for that old people and kids to keep public activities. A few of the old individuals are interested in doing public welfare activities, for instance, doing the cleaning work, being careful of one another and taking care of the kids. Such activities, transported on automatically, convey more human sense and interests of existence.
The Longtang is another varied and complex living area. The citizens, with various professions, different skills and various cultural levels have introduced a varied existence here. People of various social status, have discovered from one another, affected one another, thus shaping a unique civil culture. This type of civil culture, because of the diversity and complexity from the cultural degree of the citizens here, can neither be degenerated, nor become a stylish culture. Thus the culture of Longtangs has turned into a secular in addition to harmonious civil culture, making up the primary content from the civil culture in Shanghai.
Using the rapid development of the urban population in Shanghai and because of some historic reasons, the housing issue in the city has become serious. Each unit from the Longtang house, formerly occupied by one family, presently has been shared by a number of families. The citizens even built sheds within the places where structures aren't permitted to become built legally. You will find a lot of houses built-in a lane area that's overpopulated, thus leading to the going down hill of the standard from the homes. There's been the peculiar phenomenon of a large number of families living in one house unit under such special condition. Certain parts of the home, like the kitchen and bathroom, formerly used only by one family now are utilized by a number of families.
The existence within the Longtangs is wealthy and filled with vitality. People prefer to compare Longtangs to some kaleidoscope from the city existence, to some museum of existence and customs of individuals. It is incorporated in the Longtangs where one can spot the peculiar sense of people there, you are able to be aware of origin from the personality of shanghai people, and you will have the pulse and existence from the whole Shanghai.
