Driving toward Modernity: The Automobile and Social Change in Shanghai (1903-1937)

• Main Authors: SHIH, PEI-SAN, 施沛杉
• Other Authors: CHANG, JEI-TE
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/b3mf8a

博士 === 中國文化大學 === 史學系 === 106 === The automobile used in Shanghai since 1903. The exotic commodities brought some change between chinese people in Shanghai. From 1903, for the needs of government affairs, medical and missionary, the officers of European and American concesssions purchased automobiles. The import quantity of automobiles in Shanghai had increased every year. Several rich chinese people had used automobiles in Shanghai. For the commerical interests, more and more car companies had established in Shanghai, they hold car exhibitions, advertised in Shenbao, operated business of selling, repair and rental. More and more chinese people had used automobiles in Shanghai. The Nationalist government hold road construction, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Company had set up branch offices in Shanghai for the huge commerical interest of road transport in China. The quantity of automobile had increased every year, but the numbers of drivers had very few in Shanghai. These drivers had lacked the concept of separating people and vehicles, made many car accidents in Shanghai. They had become the representative occupation in inferior society in Shanghai. The automobile had been few and expensive. The rich people had used them for paradising their wealth in weddings and funerals. The municipal governments in Shanghai had set up traffic lights, traffic police and car driving tests, promoted the concept of separating people and vehicles and lefting to the left. The municipal governments in Shanghai had set up the car school, promoted the private car schools atmosphere, caused the increased numbers of car drivers and the prospering of taxi industry. The municipal governments in Shanghai had established the system of new weddings and funerals. Under the guidance of Chiang Kai-shek and other celebrities, the increased frequency of the chinese people used the automobiles for their weddings and funerals. The automobile had become the propaganda tool for political parade, and the modern fasion indicator. Therefore, the quantity of automobile had increased every year, had been entering chinese marriage and funeral customs, the modern fasion indicator and the system of political propaganda, caused the increased frequency of the chinese people used the automobiles. Even, in the car exhibition the chinese people hold, they had displayed the chinese made car. Manufacturing cars had become the ideal of drivering towards modernity for the chinese people, layed the foundation of chinese manufacturing car industry in Shanghai.