Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai | James Carter

What were some of the forces roiling Shanghai, and by extension, China as a whole, in the early 1940’s? In "Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai," Dr. James Carter describes the many worlds of Shanghai on the eve of World War II, focusing on the city’s famed race track a few weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

On November 12, 1941, Shanghai’s elite gathered at the Shanghai Race Club, preparing to watch the city’s best horses and most celebrated jockeys face off in the annual Champions Day races. Elsewhere in the city, crowds gathered in a new city center meant to challenge European imperialism to celebrate the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic of China. In yet another part of the city, thousands attended the funeral of Liza Hardoon, China’s wealthiest woman, whose death was symbolic of the passing of a generation that had seen Shanghai’s rise to global prominence.

In capturing the confluence of these three disparate, coexisting worlds on one particular day, Professor Carter explores the multi-faceted history of old Shanghai and the various international influences, characters, and events that shaped the city’s evolution and its profound schisms. He joined the National Committee on June 16, 2020, for a virtual program to discuss his new book.

Speaker bio: https://www.ncuscr.org/event/carter-champions-day

Видео Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai | James Carter канала National Committee on U.S.-China Relations