Green
The iconic French planes were first introduced to the former French concession in Shanghai by immigrants from France in the early 20th century as a means of relieving homesickness. The trees gradually became ubiquitous in the city, which is often dubbed the "Paris of the East". Apart from being aesthetically pleasing, the plane trees also serve a practical purpose - they create a thick canopy that shelters people from the summer heat. Residents armed with fans used to seek reprieve from the scorching sun under these trees before the mid-1990s when air conditioners were still uncommon.
Some famous boulevards featuring French planes include Hengshan Road, which is located at the heart of the former French concession. Fuxing Road, which is home to a large number of old Shanghai-style alleys, as well as Shaoxing Road, where people can find several publishing houses that are more than eight decades old.
Another popular destination to view these trees is Xinhua Road as it also offers charming views of daily local life and old town houses of different architectural styles which reflect the city's heritage and diversity. The road is also a storied location as it used to be where government officials welcomed State guests who arrived in Shanghai from Hongqiao International Airport in the 1970s and 80s.
Red
Shanghai's affinity with red can be traced to its status as the birthplace of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The first national congress of the CPC was held in Shanghai in July 1921, and subsequent sessions were held here in 1922 and 1925. The sites of the historic congress sessions in Shanghai are still standing and are well-preserved.
Xu Jiangang, director of the Party History Research Office of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC, said there are 42 verified sites that are related to the early activities of the CPC Central Committee. They include 23 spaces reserved for conferences, five fixed residences for core CPC leaders and 14 news and publicity facilities, such as the publishing house of The Communist, CPC's first monthly journal for CPC members.
Last November, General Secretary Xi Jinping and six other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee visited the Memorial for the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and this incident triggered a surge in visitor numbers to the site. According to official statistics, the site had a record high of 835,000 visits last year.
