This book is an investigation into a political event that occurred half a century ago—the Shanghai Dance Tide Case. The event was triggered by the Nationalist government's decree in September 1947, during the 'Suppression of Bandits and Building of the Nation' campaign, which banned all commercial dance halls nationwide, causing unprecedented upheaval in the Shanghai dance industry and eliciting strong societal reactions.

On January 31, 1948, in response to the Social Affairs Bureau's advance lottery and unilateral implementation of the dance ban, the dance industry personnel marched to petition, but Director Wu Kaixian refused to meet with them. In their anger, the dance industry members collectively destroyed the bureau's office building. Following the incident, about 400 dance girls were arrested by the police, and several of them were sentenced by traitors. The government was eventually forced to revoke the ban, and the sensational Dance Tide Case came to an end.

The Dance Tide Case left behind a long-standing puzzle in Shanghai's history. Despite various existing narratives, comprehensive explanations about its origins, development, climax, and conclusion are often lacking. Related stories and anecdotes are scattered in miscellaneous and obscure literary materials, receiving little attention for a long time. However, one thing has always been clear—it was not a premeditated or organized political action, which might be the reason it has been coldly treated in the field of domestic historical research. The Dance Tide Case seems to be a low-key and short melody that does not quite harmonize with the prevailing anti-civil war theme in post-war Shanghai. It was prematurely overshadowed by the scattered memories of the elderly about soaring prices, labor strikes, frequent student movements, and the roaring police cars in post-war Shanghai, gradually fading and becoming obscure with the passage of time, leaving no trace behind.

本书是对发生于半个世纪前的一起政治事件——上海舞潮案的考察。事件的起因是，1947年9月国民政府为“戡乱建国”而“节约消费”颁布了在全国禁止营业性舞厅的法令，由此引发上海舞业空前震荡，社会反应强烈。1948年1月31日下午，鉴于市社会局提前抽签，并单方面完成禁舞部署，舞业从业人员集队前往请愿，局长吴开先拒不接见。愤怒之下，舞业方面群起捣毁了社会局办公大楼，事发后，约400名舞女被警局羁押，半年后数名舞女被叛徒刑，政府也被迫收回成命，轰动一时的舞潮案至此平息。

　　舞潮案在上海历史上留下了长期难解的疑惑，有关它的起因、发展、高潮和结局，在诸多现成的叙述中往往找不到详尽的解释，与之相关的种种旧闻轶事留存于庞杂零散的文献资料里，也长期无人问津。但有一点始终是清楚的，它不是一起有预谋。有组织的政治行动，或许这正是它在国内史学研究领域一直备受冷遇的原因。舞潮案似乎是一支与战后上海反内战主旋律不甚合拍的低调短曲，过早地被覆盖在老上海们对战后物价飞涨、工潮起伏、学运频繁、警车呼啸的散乱记忆深处，任岁月流逝而日渐淡忘、模糊，不再留有任何印痕。

"The Biographical Account of Bai Longshan Ren: Wang Yiting" is the most comprehensive biography of Mr. Wang Yiting to date, presented in a hardcover edition with numerous illustrations, making it exceptionally thorough. Wang Yiting (1867—1938), also known as Bai Longshan Ren, hailed from Wuxing, Zhejiang (now Huzhou). At the age of 13, he became an apprentice at the Shenyu Bank in Shanghai and pursued foreign language studies in his spare time at the Guang Fang Yan Hall.

In the 13th year of the Guangxu reign (1887), he started working on the "Tian Yu" sandboat engaged in maritime trade. He eventually rose to the position of manager for the vessel. In the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign (1907), he was appointed as a buyer for the Japanese Nichi-Sei Steamship Company in Shanghai, concurrently holding a similar position with the Osaka Shosen Kaisha Company.

During the periods of the Xinhai Revolution and the "Second Revolution," he supported and funded the revolutionary cause. He successively held positions such as Minister of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce of the Shanghai Military Government, director of the China Electric Corporation, director of the Bank of China Commercial Savings, director of the Dada Inland Navigation Company, and chairman of the Huzhou Electric Light Company.

From the 1st to the 3rd year of the Xuantong reign (1909—1911), he served as the director of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce and Industry for three consecutive terms. In the 1st year of the Republic of China (1912), he was elected as an associate director of the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce. He was elected twice as a director of the chamber during the 5th and 7th years of the Republic of China.

Later, he became the chairman of the Central Relief Preparation Fund. Wang Yiting was a devout Buddhist, holding various positions including executive committee member and executive chairman of the Chinese Buddhist Association, chairman of the Buddhist Publication Society, and chief of the World Buddhist Laity Association.

In his later years, he devoted himself to painting and various charitable endeavors. He co-founded the Chinese and Foreign Aid Society, orphanages, disability centers, the Chinese Relief Fund for Women and Children, Tongren Fuyuan Tang, and Pushan Shanzhuang. After the August 13th Incident, he initiated the establishment of a refugee relief organization and the creation of refugee shelters."

《白龙山人:王一亭传》是至今为止最为全面的一部王一亭先生传记，精装附大量插图，非常完备。王一亭(1867—1938)，名震，别号白龙山人，浙江吴兴(今湖州)人。13岁时进上海慎余钱庄当学徒，业余时间在广方言馆学外语。清光绪十三年(1887年)，他做经营海运业务的“天余号”沙船跑街，後升任该号经理。光绪三十三年(1907年)，被聘为日本日清汽船株式会社在沪买办，同时兼任日本大阪商船会社的买办。辛亥革命和“二次革命：’时期，他拥护和资助革命，先後出任上海军政府农工商务总长、华商电气公司董事、中华商业储蓄银行董事、大达内河轮船公司董事、湖州电灯公司董事长等职。宣统元年至三年(1909—1911)，三次连任上海商务总会议董。民国元年(1912年)当选上海总商会协理。民国五年、民国七年两次连任上海总商会会董。後任中央救灾准备金保管委员会委员长。王一亭信奉佛教，担任过中国佛教会执行委员、常务委员，佛学书局董事长，世界佛教居士林林长等职。晚年，潜心作画并致力於各种慈善事业，与他人共办华洋义赈会、孤儿院、残疾院、中国救济妇孺会、同仁辅元堂、普善山庄等。八一三事变後，他发起组织难民救济会，筹设难民收容所。

The book takes Shanghai and Beijing as its research subjects, exploring the similarities and differences between 'Jingpai culture' and 'Haipai culture' from three dimensions: urban, cultural, and human, primarily in the contemporary context, over a span of approximately a century

本书以上海和北京这两个城市的研究对象,从城市、文化、人三个维度,在大约一个世纪的时间跨度内,以当代为主,探讨了“京派文化”和“海派文化”的异同。

This book focuses on the specific period of Shanghai's transformation from a traditional county town to a modern metropolis, with the development of folk charity as its main theme. For the first time, it systematically traces the historical development process of folk charity organizations in Shanghai and provides a classified description of the main charitable activities in the local community. It showcases how local gentry, merchants, and elites in Shanghai adapted traditional charitable ideas and philanthropic culture to meet the challenges of unprecedented changes, while also incorporating Western philanthropic thoughts and practices. Actively participating in urban construction and promoting Shanghai's urbanization process, they made significant contributions to the development of modern Shanghai.

本书立足于上海从传统县城向近代大都市转化这一特定时期， 以民间慈善事业的发展为主线，首次系统梳理了上海民间慈善组织产生以来的历史发展过程，并对上海民间慈善界的主要慈善活动进行了分类叙述，展现了上海地方绅商和精英们在面临三千年未有之变局的大背景下，改进传统慈善理念、慈善文化以适应新的局势，同时吸收西方慈善思想与具体做法，积极参与都市建设，推进上海都市化进程，为近代上海的发展作出了积极贡献。

Volumes for 1884-1889.

The Dianshizhai huabao 點石齋畫報 "Illustrated Lithographer" was an illustrated magazine that achieved great attention in the late 19th century because it was produced on a lithographic basis, which made it possible to reach a large public. The name is derived from a building within the complex of the Shenbao Publishing House 申報館 in Shanghai where lithographic prints could be produced. Publisher of the "Illustrated Lithographer" was the British Ernest Major (1841-1908, Chinese name Meicha 美查) who also published the famous newpaper Shenbao 申報 "Shanghai News". The first issue of the Dianshizhai huabao was published on May 8, 1884 in Shanghai, the last issue came out in 1898. There were in total 528 issues (according to a lower estimation, 473 issues) including more than 4,600 illustrations. The magazine appeared on a ten-day basis (xunkan 旬刊). Each issue had the same format containing eight pages with 8 illustrations. Collectors could then assemble each issue in a traditional thread-bound booklet. The issues were numbered according to the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, musical notes and the so-called Six Arts. It was sold separately or was given as a free supplement to subscribers of the newspaper Shenbao. [Source: http://www.bc.edu/research/chinagateway/culthist/dianshizhai_intro.html]
 

The Dianshizhai huabao 點石齋畫報 "Illustrated Lithographer" was an illustrated magazine that achieved great attention in the late 19th century because it was produced on a lithographic basis, which made it possible to reach a large public. The name is derived from a building within the complex of the Shenbao Publishing House 申報館 in Shanghai where lithographic prints could be produced. Publisher of the "Illustrated Lithographer" was the British Ernest Major (1841-1908, Chinese name Meicha 美查) who also published the famous newpaper Shenbao 申報 "Shanghai News". The first issue of the Dianshizhai huabao was published on May 8, 1884 in Shanghai, the last issue came out in 1898. There were in total 528 issues (according to a lower estimation, 473 issues) including more than 4,600 illustrations. The magazine appeared on a ten-day basis (xunkan 旬刊). Each issue had the same format containing eight pages with 8 illustrations. Collectors could then assemble each issue in a traditional thread-bound booklet. The issues were numbered according to the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, musical notes and the so-called Six Arts. It was sold separately or was given as a free supplement to subscribers of the newspaper Shenbao. [Source: http://www.bc.edu/research/chinagateway/culthist/dianshizhai_intro.html]
 

The prosperity and magnificence of Shanghai, at its inception, were a 'maritime marvel'. This city, full of legends, transformed from a county town on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River into one of East Asia's premier international trading ports within a mere century after the Opium Wars. It collectively challenged and reshaped China's traditional cultural order through the elements of 'foreign' influence, commerce, and women's roles. Amidst the Western winds of capitalism, Shanghai exemplified the early stages of China's capitalist development, making it an indispensable facet of Chinese modernity.

After 1949, under Communist policies, Shanghai was designated as an industrial hub, its former splendor washed away. It wasn't until the 1990s that China turned back to Shanghai in pursuit of modernity, propelling the city to prosperity once again.

This unprecedented city and economic force in Chinese history—how did it challenge and influence the broader Chinese society and culture? This book delves into the social and cultural history of Shanghai from 1843 to 1949, meticulously examining its finance, publishing, and modern retail industries. Yip Man-Sen vividly portrays China's first urban middle class through this exploration. In the early 20th century, when China's national role was relatively weak, this new affluent class, viewing commerce and consumption as patriotic endeavors, not only gained legitimacy within Confucian society but also became a driving force behind the transformation of Shanghai and a key player in the development of modern Chinese politics and nationalism.

The new often has roots in the old, and Yeh Wen-hsin argues that Shanghai has once again positioned itself at the heart of Chinese modernity, albeit with substantial efforts dedicated to unearthing its historical memories. Thus, to comprehend contemporary Shanghai, one must revisit the period prior to 1949—a Shanghai where Eileen Chang once lived, loved, and indulged. Whether the contemporary affluent class of Shanghai will once more assume a role in propelling national transformation might be glimpsed through the historical analysis presented in this book.

      上海的繁華輝煌，一開始卻是個「海上奇觀」。這座充滿傳奇的城市，在鴉片戰爭後的百餘年不僅由一個長江下游的縣城，一躍而成東亞數一數二的國際性通商巨埠，更以「洋」、「商」與「女性」共同挑戰與改變中國傳統文化的秩序。西風中的資本主義，在上海長出最能代表中國早期資本主義發展的面貌，中國的現代性不能不談上海。一九四九年後，上海在共黨政策下，被賦予製造工業的角色，一代繁華洗盡，直到九○年代，中國又回到上海找尋現代性，上海再度成為繁華的代表。

　　這個中國歷史上史無前例的城市與經濟，對廣大中國的社會與文化構成什麼挑戰與影響？本書回顧一八四三年至一九四九年的上海社會文化史，透過細細考察上海的金融、出版和現代百貨業，葉文心生動描繪中國第一批城市中產階層。在國家角色尚弱的二十世紀初期，這個新富階層在從商與消費被視為愛國志業的觀念下，不僅取得在儒家社會的正當性，從而改變了上海， 更成為近代中國政治與民族主義發展的主要力量。

　　新的往往也是舊的，葉文心認為，上海如今再度回到中國現代性的核心位置，卻有不少力氣花在挖掘過去的歷史記憶。因此要瞭解今日之上海，必須回到一九四九年前，那個張愛玲曾經生活過也貪嗔癡過的上海。而當代上海新富階層，是否會再次扮演推動國家變遷的角色，或許可從本書的歷史分析窺見一二。