A financial epicenter that owes its pedigree to a famous scientist of antiquity

Editor’s note:

Rome was not built in a day. Neither was Shanghai. The city that was once called the “Paris of the East” has turned into an amalgamation of multiculturalism. Along the way, Shanghai has accumulated a storehouse of stories about the people and events that have shaped its history. Five areas of the city take pride of place on this trip: People’s Square, Jinan Temple, Xujiahui, Lujiazui and Xintiandi. This series, created in collaboration with the Shanghai Library of Local Chronicles, visits them all to walk through the traces of time.

The transformation of Lujiazui in the Pudong New District from a low-rise district in the 1980s to the “Wall Street of China” at the turn of the century remains one of the most striking paradigms of China’s modernization.

But if we go back to the past, the history of Lujiazui is equally fascinating. The earliest mention of Pudong as an official toponym dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), documented in the regional geographical journal Yun Jian Zhi.

It was originally the site of salt mining, vital to Shanghai’s early economy.

Even earlier, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), what is now Pudong was officially incorporated into Huating County, the original name of Shanghai.

As the Huangpu River became a major artery during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), its banks were distinguished as the Pudong, or east bank, and the Puxi, or west bank.

Lujiazui was named after Lu Shen (1477-1544), a Ming dynasty scholar and collector who spent most of his life here. The place’s name also derives in part from a prominent river sandbank nearby that resembled a bird’s beak. The geographical object was named zui.

Lu was a leading intellectual of the Ming Dynasty, and he excelled in literature and history from a young age. Among his many roles, he was an advisor to the emperor and the author of 32 works. He was also a famous bibliophile, his family library had a collection of tens of thousands of books.

His works not only reflected the intellectual climate of his time, but also illustrated a golden era in Jiangnan or the regions south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Lu also excelled in calligraphy, creating works such as the “Rui Mai Fu” scroll, which spans approximately 3 meters and is now housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Lu’s retirement residence became an early cultural landmark in Pudong. The complex, described as picturesque, contained numerous literary and artistic treasures collected by Lu. The residence disappeared by the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

After his death, Shanghai was attacked by Japanese pirates in 1553, and his wife Madame Mei donated land and demolished some of the family’s houses to make way for the construction of the Little East Gate as part of the city’s efforts to protect it from pirates. Later, the gate was called “Madame’s Gate”.

Lu Sixiong (1734-1792), one of Lu Shen’s descendants, was a prominent figure in the Qing Dynasty. By the age of 27, he had become a successful scholar, and during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, he was appointed one of the chief editors of the exquisite Shiku Quanshu, or Complete Works of Chinese Classics, the largest collection of books on Chinese history.

Compiled by more than 380 scholars and officials, the encyclopedia covered a wide range of disciplines and set the standard for future historical and bibliographical works.

Lu Xixun’s fame was somewhat overshadowed by another editor-in-chief named Ji Yun, also known as Ji Xiaolan, who was an influential, eloquent scholar. In 1787, Lu and Ji were commissioned to correct texts that were considered degrading to the imperial court. This task took a toll on Lu’s health. He died in 1792 at the age of 58.

The achievements of these two literary giants added rich cultural significance to the history of Lujiazui and helped establish the area as a center of knowledge and literature.