City With a Film Past--And Future.

MOTION picture industry; FILMMAKERS; SPIELBERG, Steven, 1946-; EMPIRE of the Sun (Film); SHANGHAI (China) in motion pictures

This article looks at the history of Shanghai as a setting for movies. In the 1930s, Shanghai was used so often by moviemakers as a setting that it was referred to as the Hollywood of China. After World War II, Hong Kong became the main Chinese film center. Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" was filmed in Shanghai in the 1980s and ever since the city has become popular for old Shanghai film settings. The new Shanghai in Pudong, with its new skyscrapers, is also becoming popular with filmmakers.