Scenes from the movies: Shanghai?s 5 most cinematic spots

by Esther Young

Shanghai has been everything to a world of directors, from muse to milieu. It?s not surprising that the city?s dramatic alleyways, tree-lined avenues, iconic skyline and grand architecture are fodder for directors and cinephiles alike.

In the spirit of the current Shanghai International Film Festival (which runs until June 24), we're celebrating a century of Shanghai in the movies with a quick tour of its most recognizable film locales:

1. 1933

No longer used as a slaughterhouse, 1933, once the largest abattoir in Asia, is now known for its industrial architecture and its cameo in the Chinese propaganda film ?Da Li, Xiao Li, Lao Li? (1962).

In the film, 1933 is where abundant food rations and stores were located. 

Chosen by Historic Shanghai's president Patrick Cranley as a favorite, it is currently used as a center of creative arts and events: an example of cinematic legacy being passed on to the new generations.

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