Here's Shenzhen, before and after tech. Shenzhen really was a fishing village in 1950, and a small town into the 1970s. All the action was in Hong Kong nearby. A local photographer has been taking pictures from the same spots every year since 1985.[1]<p>Population of Shenzhen:<p><pre><code> 1950 3,000
1960 8,000
1970 22,000
1980 59,000
1990 875,000
2000 7,193,000
2010 10,223,000
2020 12,357,000
</code></pre>
[1] <a href="https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d414d306b6a4d31457a6333566d54/share_p.html" rel="nofollow">https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d414d306b6a4d31457a6333566d54/...</a>
Related:<p>Taipan by James Ckavelk.<p><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai-Pan_(novel)" rel="nofollow">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai-Pan_(novel)</a><p>I had read it some years ago. Interesting depictions of that period, Hong Kong, interactions between the British and Chinese then, and more. Good writing, IMO.<p><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clavell" rel="nofollow">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clavell</a><p>Excerpt:<p>>Clavell wanted to write a second novel because "that separates the men from the boys".[21] The money from King Rat enabled him to spend two years researching and then writing what became Tai-Pan (1966). It was a huge best-seller, and Clavell sold the film rights for a sizeable amount (although the film would not be made until 1986).[22]<p>King Rat was also good.
Nice share but after reading the article my existing view that the area of greater Shanghai was an agricultural area without substantial urban development until the opium wars is unchallenged.<p>Nice to see some familiar spots. About 21 years ago I used to go to the Jing'An temple for lunch on weekends and chat with the monks. They had excellent vegetarian food in the temple, and often the monks would buy me lunch.<p>If you want to look at hydro-engineering wonders, the nearby grand canal is amazing. I would post a wayback machine link of a trip I did up there circa 2005 but archive.org are still half down right now.<p>Can't stand Shanghai - no nature.
Loosely related, but two of my favourite quirks of historic international development / trade relating to China<p><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_International_Settlement" rel="nofollow">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_International_Settl...</a>
The Americans/British and other European powers held and administered sovereign territory in Shanghai. Truly remarkable considering the historical implications.<p><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Factories" rel="nofollow">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Factories</a><p>Also the “factories” in Canton each administered by a foreign power or “Hong” (i.e. Jardine Mathieson (worth a google if you are unfamiliar), the portraits on the wiki link paint an otherworldy romantic picture of what was a remarkably profitable and wild trade…