1932 Kobayashi Map of Shanghai showing Textile Area /w Bund

A rare 1932 (Showa 7) bilingual map of Shanghai with a photo of the Bund in the lower tight. This map was issued shortly following Shanghai Ceasefire Agreement, which ended hostilities between Imperial Japan and Qing China following the January 29 Incident or Shanghai Incident. The map focuses not on hostilities, but rather on manufacturing, with the 'East' and 'West' 'textile manufacturing zones' highlighted in red. Numerous textile mills and warehouses in both areas are named with English text. Inset maps in the upper right and left quadrants detail the general area and the Yangtze Delta, respectively.

Shanghai Incident of 1932

The conflict of January 28th, 1932, known as the Shanghai Incident, was a precursor to the Second Sino-Japanese War, which would begin a few years later. Following several alleged attacks on Japanese nationals, the Japanese launched a Blitzkrieg style attack on Chinese Nationalist forces with the supposed intent of protecting Japanese civilians residing in Hongkou. The Chinese Nationalist troops concentrated in Zhabei in order protect the strategically important Shanghai Railway Station, through which supplies and reinforcements could be readily delivered. The Chinese resistance proved stubborn and both sides established perimeters along the Hongkou River. A similar perimeter was stabled to the south, along the Wusong River, to protect the British and French Concessions. The Japanese nonetheless pursued their attack, using gunboats on the Wusong River and Hongkou River to harry the Chinese. Ultimately, the two sides fought to a near standstill. In late February the League of Nations forced both the Japanese to sign a ceasefire, the Shanghai Ceasefire Agreement, with China, turning Shanghai into a demilitarized zone.

Shanghai International Settlement

The Shanghai International settlement was created in 1863 when the British and American Shanghai enclaves merged. These concessions had been granted to England and the United States as part of the Unequal Treaties that followed the Opium Wars. From about 1854 the settlements were governed by the Shanghai Municipal Council, a British dominated board of government officials and powerful merchants. The board issued restrictions limiting Chinese habitation on International Settlement territory and oversaw the construction of public services, including Trams, a sewage system, highways, and port buildings. The International settlement expanded several times in the late 19th and early 20th century. It became an enclave of peace and prosperity when the Japanese invaded Shanghai in 1937 but this abruptly came to an end with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and subsequent invasion of the International Settlement in 1941. After the war the International Settlement lands were returned to Chinese sovereignty.

The Bund

The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai, illustrated through a panoramic photo in the lower right - with individual building noted. The area centers on the section of Zhongshan Road within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District. The Bund usually refers to the buildings and wharves on this section of the road, as well as some adjacent area. It is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai and building heights are restricted in this area.

The Shanghai Bund has dozens of historical buildings, lining the Huangpu River, that once housed numerous banks and trading housing from the United Kingdom, France, United States, Italy, Russia, Germany, Japan, Netherlands and Belgium, as well as the consulates of Russia and Britain, a newspaper, the Shanghai Club and the Masonic Club. The Bund lies north of the old walled city of Shanghai. This was initially a British settlement. A building boom at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century led to the Bund becoming a major financial hub of East Asia. The former French Bund, east of the walled city was formerly more a working harbor.

Publication History and Census

This map was printed on February 15, 1932, and released on February 20. It was prepared and published by Kobayashi Yasha (小林叉七). The map is rare and we can find to trace of other examples.