Keeping cool amid the heat

A look back at how Shanghai residents dealt with unbearable heat during an era when air conditioners were not yet common

The current heat wave in Shanghai has brought more than just scorching temperatures to the city, with residents also hit by a wave of nostalgia as they reminisce about how they survived a similar situation in 1934.

Average temperatures since July 21 this year has been 37 C and the heat wave is expected to continue for another week. But as unbearable as the current heat wave may seem, the current situation still pales in comparison to the one in 1934.Residents back then had to endure 55 days of overwhelming heat as temperatures constantly exceeded 35 C, with the mercury peaking at 40.2 C at one point.

That year also marked the fourth hottest summer in the United States, with 13 states experiencing stifling temperatures of over 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

The rainy season in Shanghai, which usually lasts for weeks ahead of the onset of the summer heat, lasted just one day that year, according to the Hundred Cases of China's Severe Disasters in the 20th Century.

Heat wave in history

The heatwave of 1934 was so serious that on June 26, 61 million gallons of water was used. It was the largest daily consumption volume of water for the year. The heat had also caused the stock market in Shanghai to halt its afternoon trading for the entire month of July.

The municipal government took measures to help people cope with the heat as well - companies and factories were told to let their employees off work at 4 o'clock, an hour earlier than normal.

The rickshaw pullers' union also helped their members submit less of their earnings to their bosses so that the latter could buy apair of shoes to protect their feet from the scorching hot tarred roads.

Over at the 44 air-conditioned cinemas in the city, the movie The Song of Fishermen had an unusually long run of 84 days as it gave residents the opportunity to enjoy two hours of reprieve from the heat for just 50 cents. Because of this incident, a neighborhood was later named after the movie.

Other ways of escaping the heat wave was making a trip to the mountain resorts in the north. For those who could not afford to do so, they resorted to finding a spot in the shade and passed time by exchanging ghost stories, according to local newspapers back then.

Iconic shikumen

The heat had also made the night life scene in Shanghai's iconic shikumen, or lane houses, more vibrant. Right after the sun had set, residents would pour out of their stuffy homes and occupy a spot in the open where it was relatively cooler.

The sound of chopsticks hitting bowls would fill the air as families exchanged food among one another. This was followed by the chattering noise of mahjong tiles as residents entertained themselves through the nights which were too hot for a restful sleep.

The shikumen were also turned into water parks as the lanes were filled with shower basins that children cheerfully splashed around in.

But it wasn't all fun and games during this period. Local authorities said that 123 people in the international concession suffered from heatstroke and had to be picked up by ambulances in July. The soaring temperatures had also claimed the lives of 52 people, including four foreigners, in this particular area, and this subsequently meant that the funeral parlors across Shanghai became one of the most thriving businesses around.

xujunqian@chinadaily.com.cn

A timeline of Shanghai's summers

1883: The completion of the Yangshupu Water Factory signaled the first availability of piped water across Shanghai and China. For decades, it was the largest water factory in Asia. However, during the summers, people preferred using well water as it was much cooler. The municipal government banned the use of well water late in the 1980s for fear of land subsidence as a result of the overdrawing of water.

1915: China's own electronic fan, Wahson, was born in Shanghai. Invented by three former bank clerks who were convinced that the city should not be dominated by imported General Electric fans, the made-in-China appliance spurred a wave of patriotism that compelled people to use domestic goods. However, because Wahson fans cost twice the average monthly income of a working class person back then, they did not become a household necessity in Shanghai until the early 1980s.

1924: The first building that featured central air conditioning in China was built in Shanghai. Originally a private residence for a British merchant, the building is now occupied by the China Welfare Institute and has been nicknamed as "the marble building" for its massive use of the imported stone from Italy. The building is believed to have been built at a cost equivalent to 25 million kilos of rice back then, enough to feed 140,000 people.

1950: Shanghai's well-loved ice cream brand, Bright, was introduced to the city. The ice cream company had taken over an American-run egg product processing factory and its brick-shaped ice cream is till today still fondly remembered as the must-have snack during summer.

1965: The first window-mounted air conditioner in China was made by Shanghai Refrigerator Factory. The product was initially exclusive to special venues like hospitals but had by the late 1990s replaced electric fans across the country.

1996: Shanghai's first air-conditioned public buses hit the roads. As air conditioning was still considered a luxury, many citizens flocked to these air-conditioned vehicles when they were first introduced. The fares for these air-conditioned buses, which were twice that of regular ones, caused some controversy too. Passengers were unhappy that they were paying the same amount during the cooler seasons of spring and autumn when the air conditioning was switched off.