15 October 2026 – Shanghai: The Story of China’s Most Dynamic City

Description

Home to 25 million people, Shanghai is the most populous and wealthiest city in China. A meeting point between China and the wider world, the city has become the beating heart of Chinese capitalism, a place of initiative, confidence, and forward thinking. It is a city of stark contradictions, suffused with both extreme wealth and poverty, luxury living, and a highly organised criminal underworld.

In this lecture, Professor Michael Dillon explores the full history of Shanghai, from its origins as a small fishing village to the bustling financial hub of today.