Impressions of Shanghai Alleys

Shanghai’s old-fashioned private houses are all densely packed together, because the land in Shanghai is very expensive, and there are almost no exclusive houses. Especially in the old-fashioned residential areas, every household is connected together. When I first came to Shanghai, I was not used to Shanghai’s small citizens. Alley life.

I first rented a house in Lane 25, Anqiu Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai. Anqiu Road is a very small road. I heard that the road used to be wider and could still be driven by cars. Later, it was gradually used as a road. Houses on the side occupied the road and built private houses. The road was no longer a road and turned into an alley passage, only enough for pedestrians to walk back and forth. Anqiu Road naturally disappeared from the map of Shanghai. There was Anqiu Road on the old Shanghai map. Later, Anqiu Road could not be found on the new Shanghai map, and Anqiu Road existed in name only. There is also nearby Taojiawan Road, which has the same fate as Anqiu Road. Because of the renovation and demolition of the old residential area, Tao eliminated it. My second uncle’s house used to be on Taojiawan Road.

The residents of Anqiu Road and Taojiawan Road are almost all from Huaian in northern Jiangsu. Before the liberation, their hometowns were flooded by natural and man-made disasters. They fled to Shanghai to survive in order to survive. Later, after the liberation of Shanghai, they I settled down and registered as a Shanghai citizen and became a permanent Shanghainese. This is called surviving a catastrophe, but you will be blessed later. In fact, there are not many real Shanghainese people. They are immigrants from all over the country. It turns out that Shanghai Beach is just a beach. It was just a small fishing village at the beginning. The fishermen made a living by fishing in the sea. Xiahai Temple is the place where fishermen burn incense and pray to pray for safety in the sea. Today, Xiahai Temple still exists at the junction of Tangshan Road and Haimen Road in Hongkou District, and the incense continues!

The buildings in Shanghai’s old residential areas and slums are disorganized, and large areas are surrounded by roads to form residential areas. In the residential areas, alleyways extend in all directions, and each alleyway is very narrow, only enough for two people to walk side by side. Some alleys are like a Bagua enchantment array. You crawl in and out and you lose your way. You don’t know where the exit is? It is very difficult for a stranger to find a house number there. Be very careful when living in an alley. Once a fire breaks out, firetrucks cannot get in and out, making it impossible to extinguish the fire. Once a fire breaks out, a large area of ??homes will be burned, posing many safety risks.

The old-fashioned residential alleys in the slums of Shanghai's urban villages are very complicated. The mentality of Shanghai's small citizens is as narrow as this alley. Rich families buy commercial housing and move out, and the vacant houses are rented to migrant workers. Living in alleys, the residents are very complicated. They come from all over the world and come from all walks of life. They are most afraid of thieves breaking into their homes. These alleys are dens of thieves and prostitutes. Prostitution and whoring are everywhere. The social order in the alleys is chaotic and the public security is very poor. Difficult to manage! Living in an alley makes me nervous. Once, things worth 20,000 yuan were stolen from my residence. All of them were my son’s Apple computers, iPhones, digital cameras, and all the valuables were stolen. There was no use in reporting the crime.

All in all, I don’t have a very good impression of Shanghai alleys. To make a living in Shanghai, you have to live in alleys, because most of the alleys are private houses, the rent is relatively cheap, and you can also rent in a group, which is high-end and luxurious. The rent in the community is expensive, and group renting is strictly prohibited. Foreigners who come to Shanghai to work and do business and want to make a long-term living in Shanghai must experience Shanghai alley life.

He was forced to move to the countryside in the outer suburbs of Qian. The new residential areas are all high-rise buildings with dozens of floors of elevator rooms. There will no longer be alley entrances. In the near future, all the old residential areas in Shanghai will be demolished, and the alleys in the alleys will become historical memories. At the same time, it is difficult for outsiders to make a living in Shanghai and want to rent a house. Take me for example. I rent an elevator room in a community. The monthly rent plus water, electricity, gas and property management fees add up to 7,000 to 8,000 yuan. The combined wages from working with my wife are not enough to pay the rent. The reality is so cruel! Shanghai alleys are gradually being eliminated, and the number of out-migrant people making a living in Shanghai is also gradually decreasing, because there is no longer a place to stay in the urban area of ??Shanghai. After all, there are very few work units that provide food and accommodation. This is a real problem that Shanghai migrant workers will face. .

What does the disappearance of Shanghai alleys mean? This means that the small citizens of Shanghai cannot survive in the urban area, and it means that the expatriate population and migrant workers no longer have a place in Shanghai! Only social elites and wealthy people can live in the magical city of Shanghai. I don’t know if this is social progress or regression. Should Shanghai alleys disappear? Should Shanghai's ordinary citizens move to the suburbs and countryside? Migrant workers have made indelible contributions to the construction of Shanghai. They have worked so hard and sweat so much, but in the end they don’t even have a place to stay! Once all the alleys in Shanghai disappear, I wonder what Shanghai will look like? Once all the migrant population and migrant workers in Shanghai leave Shanghai, I wonder what Shanghai will look like? Who will consider this issue?

The reality is so cruel. Shanghai is an international metropolis in the East. Everything must be in line with the world. It must advance with the times and keep up with the development of the times. Those unsightly alleys and small alleys are dirty. It is messy and poor, seriously affecting the city appearance and environment, and is incompatible with the Oriental Pearl City. The renovation of the old district will benefit the country and the people and benefit future generations! People need to have a long-term vision in life. I believe that the Shanghai Magic City will be more beautiful if we say goodbye to the small alleys and build skyscrapers, and it will be even more attractive and charming!