Shanghai: Future Shock & Ancient Secrets

About This Podcast

Uncover the story of Shanghai's Pudong district, which transformed from quiet farmland into a forest of super-tall skyscrapers in just three decades. This episode examines the city's complex layers, from the colonial time capsule of The Bund and the world's first commercial Maglev train to the origins of Xiaolongbao soup dumplings and the social divisions created by the Hukou system. This journey reveals the immense technological, cultural, and political forces that have forged one of the world's most dynamic megacities. How does a city balance breakneck futuristic development with its deep-rooted history and the lives of its millions of residents?