1975
After Shanghai opened its ports, a large number of factories opened along the coasts of Zhaojiabang (肇家浜), and sewage began to pollute the river. In the 1930s, many refugees fled to Shanghai and built stilted straw shacks along the river bed. Over time, the growing population caused the area around Zhaojiabang to become the largest waterside shantytown in old Shanghai. At the time, Zhaojiabang’s residents lived along water that stunk from the large amounts of pollution from factories. In the summer, the stench grew and there were mosquitoes everywhere.
The founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 led to a new future for Zhaojiabang. In 1954, the Chinese government allocated over 7 million yuan (approximately 2.8 million USD) to transform Zhaojiabang. Construction began in October and lasted for a little over two years. During construction, they drained Zhaojiabang, added pipelines for sewage and water, paved a road, and planted trees and grass.
Once construction was completed, Zhaojiabang Road (肇家浜路) was 3 kilometers long and 40 meters wide, and in December 1956 Zhaojiabang Road was officially open to traffic. Today, many young Shanghainese are not aware that there was once a river in Shanghai’s downtown.
