Visual Shanghai

"The idea of shooting the documentary was hatched when Expo Land started recording the relocation project on the Expo site in 2004, as this place was the cradle of modern industry in Shanghai. But later, as we discussed the project further, we found there is much more to be recorded about the city. So we started working on a documentary series, hoping to create a new name card for the city."

Huang directed the episode called "Dongtan." Dongtan Wetland on Chongming Island is currently the largest bird habitat in the Shanghai area, and an important stop on the Asia-Pacific migration route.

"When we thought about environmental protection, Dongtan immediately came to mind. It's hard to imagine that in a modern and industrialized city like Shanghai, there exists such a vast and beautiful natural bird reserve as Dongtan. Many local people know nothing about it."

Though the shooting was extremely difficult and sometimes dangerous, trudging around in swamps with heavy equipment, Huang Yinghao says the outcome made him proud of his team and his hometown.

The eight episodes in the series are shot by eight directors. With their varied backgrounds, their portrayals of the city also differ.

Zhuang Huaixuan, a young director from Taiwan, is in charge of filming the city's old town. With a 700-year history, the old town is the most charming part of the city.

"You know, it's about Shanghai. I'm not Shanghainese, but they want a fresh point of view for the old town. I think it's great project because we all have different aspects and different angles about Shanghai. And Shanghai is a city which is very old and very new. So we do need to document sometimes. We you see it after ten years, you will feel it grows very fast."

Other episodes are dedicated to the city's waterways and bridges, new immigrants, urban development, changes and preservation, and fashion.

Unlike previous documentaries, "Visual Shanghai" takes an artistic approach, director Huang Yinghao says.

"We've tried to use a lot camera skills in this documentary. Every episode has a protagonist or two and has a story to tell. They not only serve as symbols reflecting the overall life of the city, but they make the documentary itself a lot more attractive, as well."

Shanghai Film Group President Ren Zhonglun says the series may just become a Shanghai heritage on its own.

"The documentary not only fulfills its mission to introduce Shanghai's cultural essence to the World Expo, it will also be a precious gift to later generations, telling them what Shanghai was like."

"Visual Shanghai," which took filmmakers almost two years to finish, will soon begin airing on television.