Shanghai – First Impressions No.3 – The North China Herald Goes to Pootung and Meets Some Christians, 1900

Posted: August 22nd, 2013 | No Comments »

Pootung – A Wide And Melancholy Waste Of Putrid Marshes – North China Herald – 1900

Few foreign travellers’ memoirs recall arriving in Shanghai at Pootung (Pudong). This is obviously because most didn’t, and those that did were invariably sailors in one navy or another and “Jack Tars” are notoriously bad at writing memoirs. However, contrary to the popular myth that has grown up since 1949 that Pudong was somehow a place of chicken farms and rice paddies and nothing else, there was a wide range of activities taking place “Pootung-side” from farming to active markets, livestock auctions, ship repair yards, chandlery markets, all manner of factories, go-downs and warehouses as well as houses for people who worked on the eastern banks of the Whangpoo.

This article from the North China Herald (the paper that eventually became the North-China Daily News), the preeminent English language newspaper in Shanghai that had been founded in 1850, shows that by the start of the twentieth century Pudong was already fairly industrialised and sprouting an increasing number of factories – the treaty port powers had been opening factories there for some time as had Chinese business interests and, after 1895 and the Treaty of Shimonoseki that followed the end of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, Japanese industrial capital poured into Pudong. Along with industry it was also a major centre for visiting naval and commercial shipping as well as being fertile land, so the article argues, for Christian evangelising.

A Trip in Pootung

Godown house, Pootung

To most people in Shanghai the name of Pootung has no particularly attractive sound. They look across the river and opposite the Settlements see the steadily lengthening line of docks, mills, and various industries, studded with chimneys. Occasionally the place gains unenviable notoriety by the perpetration of some mean outrage by the band of desperadoes preying on the industrial fringe.

To the traveller approaching Woosung it looks a wide and melancholy waste of putrid marshes but the sportsman has some familiarity with it by reason of short week-end jaunts after the pheasant or snipe.

Yet Pootung is more than all this, and has some remarkable characteristics. In the first place, it contains, within a comparatively small area, a greater proportion of native Roman Catholics than any other part of China, with the possible exception of certain parts of Szechuan. Whole villages are Christian – not convert, but of the sixth or seventh generation – and, as is well known, the International Cotton Mill work-people, to the number of about 2,000, are drawn from these.

Within the last year or two, practically since the inauguration of the fine church at Dangmujao, the objective of the present journey, and yet to be described, a happy custom appears to have grown up of foreigners paying occasional visits to the interesting country. Such a one took place last week, and, it can be safely said, it will leave a lasting impression upon those who were privileged to participate in it.

With the approach of the end of May it was arranged to visit the church dedicated to the Virgin at Dangmujao, a church which, besides being a striking structure, has an element of romance in its history. The priest there, Father Gouraud, has devoted his patrimony to it, and aided by his relatives, has built within the last two or three years a striking edifice accommodating 2,000 worshippers, besides an institution and school for children of Christian families and the poor little waifs and strays of Chinese humanity.

Last week the trip eventuated. Soon after two o’clock the party of visitors, consisting of several priests and five laymen, left the French Bund in a couple of steam launches.

Crossing the river and going up the creek opposite the Arsenal (1), good progress was made along the winding waterway until about four o’clock, when the launches were exchanged for small native boats on account of the narrow creek. Some little distance further a stoppage was called at a place named Zieka, where several of the party landed to inspect a fine church, whilst the remainder continued on in the boats.

The church here has a history. The original building was destroyed during the Rebellion (2), and two of the priests were killed. After the usual prolonged negotiations reparation was secured and the present edifice was erected by Imperial command, with a tablet reciting all the circumstances. It is a fine structure, with quarters adjoining for priests’ residence, and quite close to an imposing house of a native Christian family who are not, however, sufficiently prosperous to allow them to live in it, and it is therefore little more than a show place.

The village contains about 200 native Christians. Here, as indeed everywhere the party went, the news of the visit, and the fact that two steam launches were coming, had been known for some time. In the guest-chamber light and very welcome refreshment was laid out – though the priest was absent – and was duly appreciated in the midst of a respectful, if curious, crowd.

After this the visitors set off on foot across country, passing through villages with modest little chapels, some of which were visited. One priest in the party, Father Pierre, who has ministered all over the district for about 14 years, and who now attends particularly to the spiritual needs of the cotton-mill operatives, seemed to know most of the people met on the road. Striding along in Indian file (3) across the fields the visitors were an object of curiosity all around, and groups made short cuts over the country to intercept and exchange a few words with the padres.

“Have you said your evening prayer?” a priest salutes one group. “Yes, father,” they answer and with a smile and a nod on he passes. From one village a messenger runs out to call him back, to ask his advice upon some matter, and he has to retrace his steps, soon however, catching up the rest of the party. Towards evening the high steeple and church at Dangmujao come into full view and rapid progress is made, the destination being reached a little before sunset.

Sufficient time remained for a glimpse at the schools and the church. The latter is built in the shape of a cross. The nave is 180 feet long by 60 feet wide, the transept in front of the altar being 120 feet long, and the height of the spire is 131 feet. The windows are filled with brilliantly hued glass, somewhat striking perhaps to foreign ideas, but probably most pleasing to the native taste. The choir sing in a gallery at the west end of the church, into which, on the arrival of the visitors a fine harmonium just received from Europe was being hoisted.

The schools were an interesting sight. The girls number about 60, and the boys the same number. It was pathetic to hear the stories of some of the poor little inmates. Abandoned by parents, rescued from barbarity by the fathers, or the victims of misfortune, the youngsters looked happy and smiling, and their spotlessly clean surroundings must alone be a liberal education.

Amongst the girls was one poor little wizened creature, twenty-three years of age, of almost infantile stature, dwarfed and disfigured by years of ill-treatment, and rescued by Father Pierre from being thrown into the Huangpu. It was not the least interesting to see the pleasure they showed at their protectors’ visit. The boys were busily getting through supper, the sibilant chorus as they sucked from their rice bowls producing a curious effect.

The inspection being over, one’s thoughts not unnaturally turned to dinner, for the walk across country had sharpened appetites. It would be difficult to do justice to that evening. With the most charming hospitality the Fathers seemed to place everything at their guests’ command, and a happier party could not be imagined.

It was a curiously mixed one. The accent of Belgium, mingled with those of France and Holland, and at times the mellifluous brogue of “the distressful country” (4) touched French as lightly as it did English.

Those who associate gloom and asperity with the missionary should have listened to the quaint songs of old France, capitally sung, and have heard the laughter which greeted “Father O’ Flynn,” as a visitor sang it. Never had he a more responsive audience than when he asked “Why leave the gaiety all to the laity?”

And as evening glided by, the conversation touched upon all subjects, for here there were men who could talk. Did one wish to discuss music, here was a Father, a born musician. Was it literature, then to your right. Was it medicine here was a Father, a qualified doctor, and so on.

Five o’clock the next morning the tolling of the church bell aroused the visitors, and half-an-hour later at the first Mass a considerable congregation had flowed in from the countryside. As the sun rose higher in the heavens – though the day was not an obligatory feast, but consecrated to Our Lady the Help of Christians – the attendance became large. At half-past seven, when High Mass was celebrated by Pere Louail, formerly of Hongkew (5) – accompanied by some really excellent music rendered by the priests and their visitors – the church held at least 1,200 worshippers, the women on the one side of the nave being, not unnaturally, more numerous than the men who are just now very busy in the fields. The whole service was most impressive and striking, the singing being unusually good, and the harmonium showing a most organ-like tone.

It had been intended to make the return journey by steam launch, but the low water in the creek prevented this, and after bidding good-bye to the kindest of hosts, the party set out to walk. At mid-day a brief halt was made at the village of Tsangkaleu, some four miles from Shanghai, where light refreshment was served in the house adjoining the chapel.

This village is interesting as consisting almost entirely of Christians – some 800 or 900. Here the “trip” practically ended, for some stayed behind, others took wheel-barrow or pony, and others walked.

North-China Herald, June 6, 1900

1) The Jiangnan Arsenal and ironworks opened in 1865 as part of China’s Self-Strengthening movement and developed primarily by the military general Zeng Guofan and statesman Li Hongzhang. In 1868 the Arsenal produced China’s first steam warship.

 

2) The Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864)

 

3) By this the author means the style of one behind the other, in single file as American Indians taught Europeans how to walk in the woods.

 

4) By which the author means Ireland.

 

5) Now Hongkou

 

 

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