My Shanghai vs. 'Prosperous' Shanghai: What Gives?

[Kelvin Shanahan DVM]

Friends, I really can't agree with the statement that "Shanghai is so sophisticated, but what does it have to do with ordinary people like us?"

This kind of talk seems particularly popular, right?

• Not wanting to truly integrate? Use this as an excuse.
• Feeling that you're not putting in enough effort? Comfort yourself with this.
• Or, just find a way out of feeling powerless.

But honestly, does Shanghai's sophistication really have nothing to do with you?

• With the super convenient subway and buses (Shanghai’s public transportation is well-connected everywhere), haven’t you used them?
• The educational and healthcare standards (even if it's just short-term tourism, you can still feel the overall level and service mentality of the city), haven't you felt it?
• Whatever you want to buy, delivered in no time (online shopping and takeout services are very developed here; almost anything can be delivered to your doorstep), have you not benefited from its convenience?
• Various interesting cultural activities and exhibitions, haven't you not seen any?
• Opportunities all over the streets (even just the opportunity to find a charming little shop), haven’t they not greeted you?

The convenience, comfort, openness and freedom brought by Shanghai belong to everyone who lives here, regardless of who you are.

• Here, you can be your true self without being concerned about what others think.
• Regardless of age, you can always find things that you like.
• As long as you’re capable, there’s sure to be a stage here for you to showcase yourself.
• By the way: if you always focus on upward comparison, just gazing at luxury cars and mansions trying to compare, then frankly speaking, you’ll never find happiness or a sense of belonging wherever you go. Don’t let such comparisons ruin your mood.

Shanghai has safety, relative equity and many opportunities. Talented people from all over the world can develop here and even change their fates.

• Unknown numbers of people have settled here, started businesses, realized their dreams, or found a new self.
• Those who are rich, talented, or ordinary all find their place here, working hard to live well.
• This is what makes Shanghai really remarkable — whether a city is good depends not on how high its peak is, but on how warm its bottom is.

So don’t say that Shanghai’s prosperity has nothing to do with you.

• You are in the midst of this prosperity; every drop of sweat you shed adds bricks to this city.
• Not only can you enjoy this prosperity, but you have an opportunity to create your own splendor right here!

Feelings about a city are not forged by money.

• When you get familiar with it, accept it, and love it, a sense of "this place is my home too" will be there.
• While you live here and work hard, it nurtures you and supports you.

When you first come to Shanghai, you might be stunned or somewhat dazzled by the urban glamor, various bright lights, and lively scenes ("ten miles of foreign concession," roughly the feeling people talk about). You might think that the city feels a bit aloof and difficult to approach.

• But don’t look down on yourself. Open your heart up, explore more, and try to understand and integrate into the city.
• If so, you'll find that behind those shimmering highlights lie the very common sights and sounds of ordinary life.
• You'll fall in love with its beauty, allure, diversity, and tolerance!

The prosperity of Shanghai belongs to everyone who loves it and can’t be separated from the sweat shed by every striver here. Shanghai is the Shanghai loved by everyone! Let’s join forces and make it even better!

[Antoinette Ferry]

Some people seem to have the wrong idea, thinking you need to live like a top tycoon – driving Lamborghinis and Ferraris, staying in 130,000 RMB-a-night hotels, and dining on the most expensive French cuisine – to truly experience a city's prosperity. Actually, a city's advancement is most evident in its infrastructure and daily life: things like efficient transportation (subways, high-speed rail), drivers yielding to pedestrians, overall convenience, and a wide array of entertainment, shows, and performances. Job-wise, there's a vast range of choices, including very niche and quirky roles you'd only find in big cities, like professional dog walkers, decluttering experts, or hotel testers. It's all these various aspects that make a difference.

[Wesley Parisian-Kerluke IV]

Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed with my trip to Shanghai this time. I'd imagined it countless times, but it hasn't quite lived up to my expectations. Of course, the Bund is undeniably beautiful and bustling, but that's pretty much it. There isn't much else to do, to be honest. My last big hope is Disneyland tomorrow. After that, I don't think I'll have much else to look forward to.

[Mr. Jody Bednar]

The weather in Shanghai hasn't been great these past few days. If you had come a bit later, many places would have been in bloom, like near Dongchang Road Metro Station, Piano Key Park, Flower Ocean Ecological Park, and the Shanghai Botanical Garden. For Disneyland, I'd recommend going early, ideally right when it opens. Try to hit Soaring Over the Horizon and the TRON Lightcycle Power Run first to save some time queuing. Also, you can bring your own food into Disneyland now, which is good because the food and drinks inside are pretty pricey.

[Orville DuBuque]

Actually, the greatest advantage of Shanghai is the incredible sense of freedom you feel. You can like what you like, wear what you want, and no one will judge you; in fact, they might even compliment you. You can pursue any hobby you're interested in, and no one will call it a waste of money. Transportation is so convenient, you can go anywhere. And when you're approaching 30, people might ask if you're single and say you still seem so young, rather than pressuring you with, 'Why aren't you married yet at 30?!'

[Jeannie Parisian]

Two of my colleagues from out of town, both in their forties or fifties, really love playing matchmaker. Several of my friends who are my age don't plan on getting married or having kids.

[Karen Bruen]

Shanghai's prosperity might not directly affect most ordinary folks, but the general level of public courtesy is indeed very high. Drivers know this. Plus, Shanghai is also a very safe city.

[Karen Bruen]

The level of courtesy is truly different. Every year when I go back to my hometown, people never queue at the high-speed rail station exit; it's always a mad scramble. But in Shanghai, people automatically queue up everywhere. It's really a stark contrast.

[Beulah Koelpin]

People who say Shanghai's prosperity has nothing to do with ordinary people are usually not from the city. What they're implicitly trying to say is something like, 'What's so great about you Shanghainese? You're not that different from us. How does the city's quality relate to you? The truly rich aren't even Shanghainese.' It's just a way for them to feel better, thinking, 'I'm no worse than you, and you're no better than me.'

[Frank Cole]

I don't think so. We don't just feel that Shanghai's prosperity is irrelevant to ordinary people; we feel that the prosperity of any first-tier city is irrelevant to ordinary people. We're just here to work, earn money, and then leave. We can hardly ever truly possess those skyscrapers and the glitz and glamour, so what does all that prosperity have to do with us?

[Daisy Hermiston]

But I noticed this time that drivers in Shanghai are very courteous to pedestrians. If it's not because they'd be fined, then their manners are genuinely excellent.

[Mr. Ryan Hermann]

In Shanghai, vehicles generally slow down and stop from a distance when they see pedestrians, even if the pedestrians are jaywalking. Their level of courtesy is truly high. Elsewhere, many cars speed up as they approach crosswalks. Even if they eventually yield, pedestrians don't dare to cross easily, not to mention the many cars that don't even have the awareness to yield.

[Marion Barrows]

For me, what I appreciate most about big cities is their inclusiveness. In places like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, you can wear whatever clothes you like, get tattoos, dress revealingly, or engage in some pretty unconventional hobbies. In smaller places, these behaviors would get you labeled. If you're not mentally strong, it's easy to be swayed. But big cities are very tolerant; people might glance, but they won't look at you strangely. You can live more like your true self.

[Jeremiah Stamm-Carroll]

Exactly!

[Edith Friesen]

I grew up in Beijing, and when I went to Shanghai for university, it felt so much more prosperous. It made Beijing seem a bit plain in comparison (though maybe it's because I grew up in Xicheng; kids from Chaoyang might not feel such a strong contrast).

[Ada Muller]

I grew up in Shanghai, and I feel Beijing is more prosperous with grander architecture. Shanghai is a bit more refined.

[Mrs. Beverly Glover-Crist]

If you'd visited Shanghai before, you would definitely have found it very prosperous. But going now, it truly feels different. Firstly, you've grown up and seen more. Secondly, other first-tier and near first-tier cities have developed, so the contrast isn't as stark.

[Dana Sanford]

It's mainly that the sense of contrast has changed. It's like when I went to Hong Kong a few years ago, I thought everywhere was great. But when I went again a few years later, I didn't feel much. Maybe it's because I'd seen more, and my perspective had also changed. Before, I yearned for it; later, I realized it didn't have much to do with me.

[Reginald Ziemann]

I went once during my junior year of college. I didn't have much money and was trying to save, but I still spent one or two thousand RMB in two days. Plus, I couldn't find anywhere to sit in the malls. On the first night, I experienced my first-ever foot massage.

[Ms. Cecilia Lowe]

I usually just find a bubble tea shop or a dessert place to sit. Starbucks is in almost every mall, and it's fine even if you don't buy anything; just sit there confidently.