Huangpu Park
Encyclopedia
Huangpu Park is the name of the triangular stretch of green at the northern end of the Bund
in Shanghai
, the oldest and smallest park of the city. It is the site of the high-rising Monument to the People's Heroes
, commemorating those who helped to free China from foreign occupation, and the Bund Historical Museum, showing the history of the Bund in old photographs.
The first park at this location was established in 1886 as Public Garden, the first park in China open to the public. Designed by a Scottish gardener in European style, it included a resting pavilion and a tennis court, aiming at the increasing number of foreigners living in Shanghai ever since the city became an international trade port in the 1840s.
The Public Garden was closed to Chinese people between 1890 and 1928, and according to a popular myth, a sign at the park's gate read "No dogs or Chinese allowed". However, there is no evidence that such a sign ever existed. Period photographs show a very different sign, one listing ten regulations, the first of which was "The Gardens are reserved for the Foreign Community", the fourth being "Dogs and bicycles are not admitted". In any case, the banning of Chinese from Huangpu Park and other parks in China has remained in Chinese public mind as one of the many moments of humiliation by the Western powers in the 19th and early 20th century. For instance, the legend is manifested in the Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury
, where a scene taking place at Huangpu Park gate features a (fictitious) "No dogs and Chinese allowed" sign.
After World War II
, Public Garden was renamed Huangpu Park. Confined by Suzhou Creek
to the north and Huangpu River
to the east, the park bears the name of the latter, larger river.
The Park was remodeled in the 1990s with the addition of the Monument to the People's Heroes and the Bund Historical Museum.
While the place looks very different today, the historical name of Huangpu Park lives on in the names of places in the neighbourhood like Garden Bridge and the New Bund Garden, a high-rise apartment building in Hongkou District
.
The Bund
The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai, People's Republic of China. The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, the oldest and smallest park of the city. It is the site of the high-rising Monument to the People's Heroes
Monument to the People's Heroes (Shanghai)
The Monument to the People's Heroes is a concrete structure in Shanghai, China. The structure is located at the confluence of the Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River, within the grounds of the Huangpu Park....
, commemorating those who helped to free China from foreign occupation, and the Bund Historical Museum, showing the history of the Bund in old photographs.
Name and history
The Public Garden was closed to Chinese people between 1890 and 1928, and according to a popular myth, a sign at the park's gate read "No dogs or Chinese allowed". However, there is no evidence that such a sign ever existed. Period photographs show a very different sign, one listing ten regulations, the first of which was "The Gardens are reserved for the Foreign Community", the fourth being "Dogs and bicycles are not admitted". In any case, the banning of Chinese from Huangpu Park and other parks in China has remained in Chinese public mind as one of the many moments of humiliation by the Western powers in the 19th and early 20th century. For instance, the legend is manifested in the Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury
Fist of Fury
Fist of Fury, formerly known as The Chinese Connection and The Iron Hand in the United States, is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei. It starred Bruce Lee in his second major film after The Big Boss...
, where a scene taking place at Huangpu Park gate features a (fictitious) "No dogs and Chinese allowed" sign.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Public Garden was renamed Huangpu Park. Confined by Suzhou Creek
Suzhou Creek
Suzhou Creek is a river in China that passes through the Shanghai city centre. It is named after Suzhou, a city in neighbouring Jiangsu province which was the predominant city in this area prior to the rise of Shanghai as a metropolis.One of the principal outlets of Lake Tai, Suzhou Creek has a...
to the north and Huangpu River
Huangpu River
The Huangpu River is a -long river in China flowing through Shanghai...
to the east, the park bears the name of the latter, larger river.
The Park was remodeled in the 1990s with the addition of the Monument to the People's Heroes and the Bund Historical Museum.
While the place looks very different today, the historical name of Huangpu Park lives on in the names of places in the neighbourhood like Garden Bridge and the New Bund Garden, a high-rise apartment building in Hongkou District
Hongkou District
Hongkou District is a northern district of Shanghai proper, People's Republic of China. It has a land area of and population of 799,700 as of 2001.It is the location of the Astor House Hotel, Broadway Mansions, Lu Xun Park and the Lu Xun memorial....
.