Shanghai: The City We Hate to Love

There was a time when we Beijingers hated Shanghai. We hated its seeming opulence. We poo-pooed its “history” from a mere century or so ago, compared to our long, rich past. We turned up our noses at their “cuisine,” a semblance of creatures that crawled out of the river and onto a dinner plate. But now, Shanghai’s place in the world is undisputed. In 30 years, a Blade Runner-like skyline has risen from the mud flats on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River. It has hotels included on world’s best lists, and currently has more international residents than Beijing.