The new Shanghainese

Jessie Jiang (C) works to create a welcoming atmosphere in her business, C's bar. Photo provided to Shanghai Star

Luo Qi, a proud new Shanghainese, says he initially suffered feelings of rootlessness and loneliness when he arrived in the city, but today he has a good group of friends and enjoys a busy and exciting life.

"Every newcomer has undergone hard times and felt isolated and confused, but mostly they find their way to be part of the city after getting to know more people and getting closer to the locals," says Luo, who found Me Library, a bookstore that offers opportunities for young people to express their feelings and share personal stories with others.

Luo spends most of his time talking to different people including close friends, friendly local people and new arrivals.

In his years living in Shanghai, he has been the victim of discrimination from Shanghainese speaking local dialect, but has also been treated kindly by friendly neighbors.

"I think the real Shanghainese are well-mannered, elegant, and generous and they long for a comfortable life. They love helping and offering advice to newcomers with an open mind," Luo says.

Statistics from the National Health and Family Planning Commission showed that China had 245 million migrants at the end of 2013, representing more than one-sixth of the national population.

Many migrants struggle to integrate into urban society as their access to essential public services lags behind that of their urban peers.

“It is quite difficult to work and live equally as locals if you don’t have hukou, the permanent residence permit, which has certain strict requirements to meet,” says 27-year-old Xiu Shui, who came to Shanghai to work as a full-time web engineer three years ago.