Evolution of organizational system in Zhabei District

The word Zhabei comes from two sluices on Suzhou River (Wusong River). In the 14th year of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty (1675), a sluice was built on Wusong River near Fujian Luqiao, which was later called the old sluice. In the 13th year of Yongzheng (1735), another sluice was built in Jinjiawan (near the new sluice bridge) three miles west of the old sluice, which was called the new sluice. During the Jiaqing period, due to the flourishing trade of Wusong River, two markets were formed around the old gate and the new gate. The new gate market was the main shipping destination of the lower reaches of Wusong River, with boats, iron shops and commercial shops, and the market was prosperous. Most of the northern shore of Wusong River near the market was still fields. After the opening of Shanghai, the northern side of the new gate and the old gate also began to develop, and the name of Zhabei began to appear.

most of the south of the Qiujiang River is a place where water networks intersect, and only two gates gradually form a market. To the north of the Qiujiang River are farmland and natural villages. From the last years of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty to the early years of Tongzhi, immigrants from all over the world continued to flow into Shanghai, and most of the poor people built sheds in the southern part of the territory to settle down, before there were natural villages such as Meiyuan and Tangjialong settlements. At that time, most domestic passengers and goods were transported by Wusong River, and the river bank gradually became the distribution and trading place of agricultural and sideline products and other materials. There are rural roads leading from the old sluice and the new sluice to Jiangwan Town Street, dachang town and Zhenru Town respectively.

in the 26th year of Guangxu, in order to resist the expansion of concession authorities, Guangdong businessmen Chen Shaochang, Zhejiang businessmen Zhu Chenggui and other local gentry and businessmen gave permission to the Governor of Liangjiang to open their own commercial port, and established the first private municipal organization in Shanghai-Zhabei Engineering General Administration. As a result, the Chinese border area began to urbanize, and bridges and roads were built to improve traffic. After the Qing government rebuilt Wusong Railway and named it Songhu Railway. Many cargo loading and unloading docks have been built along Guangfu Road, which has become a concentrated place for warehouse stacking. The number of automobile transport companies has also grown from the first three in Shanghai to 12, carrying materials from railways and docks. Since the establishment of Zhabei commercial port in the Huajie area of Zhabei, due to the low land price and convenient land and water transportation, some Qing government bureaucrats and national capitalists have invested in Zhabei, vying for land and setting up factories and stores. The Commercial Press, Zhabei Hydropower Company and Fuxin Mechanism Flour Factory have been completed successively. During the First World War, Zhabei's national capital developed rapidly, and by the end of the 192s, it had been known as "the base camp of the origin of Chinese factories" and became one of the modern cultural centers in Chinese circles.

in p>1932, the Japanese army invaded Shanghai on November 28th, and Zhabei was one of the two Chinese border areas facing Nanshi at that time. Formerly known as the "industrial base camp", "commercial center in northern Shanghai" and "new culture movement base" in Shanghai, it was also one of the important areas for the early revolutionary activities of the Revolution of 1911 and the China * * * production party. In particular, the Commercial Press, the largest printing and publishing cultural enterprise in China, and the Oriental Library, the "No.1 in Asia", are located in Zhabei, displaying the achievements of the New Culture Movement, integrating the essence of Chinese culture and arousing the jealousy of Japanese militarism. For the evil purpose of destroying Chinese culture and our national industry, the Japanese army carried out extremely brutal rampage on Zhabei. Later, on August 13th, 1937, the Japanese army continued to burn, kill, capture and plunder Zhabei, so that more than 95% of the buildings in the well-developed central and northwest region were destroyed, the essence of industry and commerce disappeared, and the culture and education were completely destroyed. The people were displaced and fell into endless suffering, thus becoming a "shirtless area" and a "lower corner of Shanghai".

in the 21st year of the Republic of China (1932), the "November 28th Incident" broke out, and the Japanese invaders first invaded the Huajie area in Zhabei. At the same time of ground invasion, planes and warships were mobilized to bomb and shell, focusing on Baoshan Road near North Station and the east of Songgongyuan Road (now Hotan Road). With the full support of the Shanghai people, the 19th Route Army of the National Government under the command of patriotic generals Jiang Guangnai and Cai Tingkai rose up against the Japanese invaders, and many heroic deeds of bloody war of resistance emerged. On March 3rd, the 19th Route Army was forced to retreat, because Zhabei was in the main battlefield. In the 34 days before and after, the Japanese invaders tyrannized in the Huajie area of Zhabei for 28 days, 13 lanes and tens of thousands of houses were destroyed, the North Station and the Commercial Press were bombed many times, and the Oriental Library was burned.

in the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937), the "August 13th" Sino-Japanese War broke out, and the Chinese border area in Zhabei was the first to bear the brunt. The Japanese invaders once again attacked Zhabei and carried out even more cruel and destructive damage. While the invading Japanese army bombed the North Station indiscriminately, it focused on the areas west of North Tibet Road (now Tibet North Road) and Songgongyuan Road. North Station, Megan Road Station and Commercial Press have been bombed many times, and pieces of houses, factories and shops have been destroyed. On October 28th, 1937, the Japanese plane threw a burning bomb at the North Station, which caused the Zhabei fire on the 3rd. From the north of the city center, black smoke billowed during the day and the flames soared at night. Japanese invaders also burned, robbed and raped women everywhere, and collectively massacred civilians. During the three months of the "August 13th" Songhu Anti-Japanese War, the invading Japanese army abused Zhabei for 8 days. Residents have been displaced, with hundreds of thousands of homeless people, and a large number of talents and funds have flowed into concession areas. Almost all industrial and commercial enterprises were destroyed, more than 4 primary and secondary schools were bombed, and all buildings in most areas of the area were in ruins, leaving only 27 factories, 234 shops and 8 hospitals, mostly in concession areas in China. Zhabei Huajie area has lost its vitality, lost its former prosperity and become the poorest place in Shanghai. After the complete fall of Zhabei area, more than 1,3 mu of land was encircled by the Japanese invaders for military use, and all industries were depressed, prices soared, and people were in a state of poverty. Many residents were hungry, and many people fell to the roadside. Sometimes even charitable organizations such as Pushan Mountain Villa had no time to collect and bury them, leaving them exposed on the streets. The ruins of war have gradually become shanty towns where victims and refugees live together. Japan's war of aggression against China not only interrupted the modernization of Zhabei, but also directly led to the long-term decline of the region, which was ridiculed as a "bare-chested area" with "light and body".

After the founding of New China, in the 199s, with the acceleration of Shanghai's urban transformation, the appearance of Zhabei's "shack kingdom" has changed, but the shacks created and emerged due to Japanese aggression still exist today. Even so, Zhabei is regarded as the shortest plank in Shanghai's "barrel-shaped" economic development model, which not only lags behind the city's average level of economic development, but also hinders the city's economic take-off.

in October, 215, the State Council approved that Jing' an district and Zhabei district should be removed from the second building to build a new "Jing' an district". The district government is currently located at No.37 Changde Road.