Mr. Wong’s World

Saving the Architectural Heritage of Shanghai

Directed by Christian Schidlowski

Shanghai, the center of Chinese capitalism, has been undergoing an unprecedented building boom. Over 2,000 high-rise buildings have gone up since the 1990’s. As a result, many historic treasures fall prey to the wrecking ball.

Mr. Wong is a wealthy businessman who returned to China from Canada. He has made it his mission to spend every penny he can on rescuing old houses, villas, and temples of old Shanghai that are no longer valued by the development-minded Chinese. Whenever Mr. Wong travels the streets of Shanghai, he keeps his eyes open, ready to buy any house worth preserving before the sledge hammering begins. Stone by stone his workers disassemble the old houses and bring them to a large property outside of Shanghai he bought expressly for the purpose of setting up a park for endangered buildings. He envisions a safe haven for lost traditions and ancient arts.

Most of his fellow Chinese are mystified. Town planners and investors see him as a threat to progress and an obstacle to their plans. This is both an intriguing and humane story of a most unusual man realizing his vision against all odds. It is an insightful portrait of the divided soul of modern China.

80 min. Video or DVD. Sale $350. Rental $85.