From November 5 to December 31, 2017, the Shanghai Library and Sinan Mansion jointly held a grand historical reenactment event.

This event unfolds the picture of modern life in modern Shanghai one by one.

Both in terms of the significance of the cooperation and the exhibition content involved, it is full of highlights.

The Reading Department of the Historical Documentation Center of Shanghai Library knows that this cooperation is of great significance.

Since last year, Sinan Mansion has launched the "Modern Sinan" activity. The event vividly presents a picture of "Modern Shanghai" based on its rich history, culture and unique venue.

And "Modern Shanghai" is exactly the special collection of Shanghai Library.

This year, Sinan Mansion has established a cooperative relationship with the Shanghai Library in preparation for the "Modern Sinan Season 2" event. The two parties jointly planned and launched thematic quarterly exhibitions.

This is a humanistic experience journey from history to history.

Both locations are located in the former "French Concession" area, aiming to create a tour path for tourists from two-dimensional historical reading to three-dimensional immersive experience.

The cooperation between Shanghai Library and Sinan Residence also complements each other's resource advantages.

The Shanghai Library has a large collection of books, and the Sinan Mansion has unique site conditions. The combination of the two can present history in a more intuitive way.

This cooperative project is also anticipated by many history and culture enthusiasts.

The theme of the recent quarterly exhibition held by Shanghai Library is "Documentary Exhibition of Modern Urban Leisure Life". This exhibition consists of two parts, namely "Glorious Shanghai" and "Western Style in Leisure Time".

The purpose of this structure is to describe the two development stages of the introduction of modern Western leisure lifestyle to Shanghai and the localization of this lifestyle in the modern city of Shanghai.

Each of these two exhibitions has its own characteristics, helping visitors to more comprehensively grasp the evolution of modern Shanghai in the field of leisure life.

The curators hope that through this independent yet interrelated exhibition format, more people can explore the development of history in depth and detail.

The exhibitions in the Xujiahui Library and the Shanghai Library’s quarterly theme exhibition hall are like two keys, one of which opens the door to Shanghai’s Western-style leisure, and the other reveals the essence of local culture.

Xujiahui Library has a unique position in this exhibition.

The earliest foreign-language leisure magazines in Shanghai are mainly displayed here. These magazines are precious materials for studying Western leisure concepts at that time.

There are also flyers and commemorative brochures for cultural and sports activities organized by overseas Chinese.

These commemorative albums record the leisure and entertainment activities of foreigners in Shanghai at that time.

The relevant historical photo materials are also a major attraction.

Those photos may have recorded scenes of dances, ball games and other activities held by foreigners. From the layout details to the expressions of the characters, they all make people feel like they are in the atmosphere of that era.

Displaying these materials helps to recreate historical scenes while providing valuable research materials for modern researchers.

The Shanghai Library’s quarterly themed exhibition hall focuses on the evolution of “modern life” in Shanghai’s localization.

This shows the rise and fall of core places such as Huangpu Park, Big World, and Grand Guangming Cinema.

Daguangming Cinema was built in 1928 and was originally called Daguangming Theater. It was once a traditional entertainment center integrating theaters, teahouses and other functions. It is worth mentioning that Mr. Mei Lanfang personally cut the ribbon for its opening ceremony.

By observing the development and changes of these places, we can understand how "modern life" is gradually integrated into Shanghai.

After eighty years of hard work, the Grand Guangming Cinema has witnessed the evolution of Shanghai’s entertainment industry and its changes from ancient times to the present. This process also reflects the gradual updating of people’s living patterns to a certain extent.

The magazine "Jingle Pictorial" was a weekly published in Shanghai in the 1930s.

The content is focused on sports and entertainment and includes numerous images and photos. These materials show the sports competitions and cultural entertainment activities in Shanghai in the past, and also provide a lot of practical information on culture, sports and leisure.

The emergence of this kind of cultural publication is closely related to the cultural background of the time.

At that time, Shanghai had a diverse cultural landscape, where Chinese and Western cultures collided, giving rise to this bilingual publication.

The content of this publication vividly depicts the urban life of that era, covering many aspects, such as popular sports events, the latest news about entertainment stars, and leisure venues. These contents to a large extent show the modern life of Shanghai at that era. style.

Such exhibitions are of great value to historical research.

Last year, a foreign reader made a special trip to the library to search for information about pelota. This incident fully illustrates the importance of these historical documents for future generations to study the lifestyle of their predecessors.

To explore the development and changes of Shanghai culture, or to explore the intersection and integration of Chinese and Western cultures, this exhibition has presented us with a large amount of valuable information.

For the public, this is also a rare opportunity to understand life in modern Shanghai.

The joint exhibition between the two places allows the public to more directly see the development history of Shanghai's modern lifestyle. It came from scratch and derived its unique regional characteristics. Such changes give people a stronger understanding of local culture. Recognition and pride.

Have you ever thought about the important impact that such historical and cultural displays have on preserving urban cultural memory?