Nanshi Public Stadium

Nanshi Public Stadium

Nanshi Public Stadium is a protected cultural heritage site of Shanghai.

No. 208 Daji Road (No. 555 Fangxie Road) — A Revolutionary Gathering Site of Shanghai’s Masses Since the May Fourth Movement — Nanshi Public Stadium

Located at the former site of the Shanghai South Stadium on No. 555 Fangxie Road, it was a gathering place for Shanghai’s revolutionary masses from the May Fourth Movement up to the eve of the August 13th Shanghai-Japan War.

In October of the 4th year of the Republic of China (1915), the magistrate of Shanghai County commissioned the County Education Association to plan the construction. A plot of over 26 acres of charitable land (between Daxie Road, Fangxie Road, and Dalin Road) north of Xieqiao was selected to build the stadium. It was completed and opened on March 30th of the 6th year of the Republic of China (1917), with a total investment of 22,260 yuan, and was named Shanghai Public Stadium. This was the first stadium in Shanghai built entirely by Chinese initiative.

On May 7th of the 8th year of the Republic of China (1919), to support Beijing students’ patriotic actions during the May Fourth Movement and to oppose the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, over 20,000 people from all walks of life in Shanghai gathered at the Public Stadium for a National Assembly. They shouted anti-imperialist slogans and called for the punishment of traitors, demanding the release of arrested students. Demonstrations followed afterward. The newspapers at the time commented that it was “the first major show of public spirit in Shanghai.” On June 27th, over 10,000 people gathered at the stadium, deciding to hold a rally of 110,000 people there on July 1st to protest the signing of the treaty. During this period, Shanghai students and citizens frequently held oath-taking ceremonies, memorial services for martyr Guo Qinguang, and mass demonstrations against imperialism and the warlord government at the stadium.

On March 12th of the 14th year of the Republic of China (1925), Dr. Sun Yat-sen passed away in Beijing. On April 12th, the people of Shanghai held a memorial assembly at the Public Stadium. Soong Ching-ling and others attended, and He Xiangning delivered a speech.

After the May 30th Incident, the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce, initiated by the Shanghai General Labour Union, held a citizens' assembly of nearly 100,000 people at the stadium on June 11th. It was described as “unprecedentedly solemn and stirring.” On June 30th, another assembly of 200,000 people was held at the stadium to mourn the martyrs who died in the May 30th Incident, causing traffic jams on nearby roads. The following year on May 30th, a commemorative assembly for the first anniversary of the May 30th Incident was held at the stadium, reflecting the anti-imperialist determination of the people of Shanghai.

In 1917, on a 20-acre vacant lot between Daji Road and Fangxie Road in Shanghai’s Chinese-administered area, the local government built a stadium named “Shanghai Public Stadium,” commonly known as “Ximen Stadium.” In July of the 16th year of the Republic of China (1927), after Shanghai became a Special Municipality, it was officially named Shanghai First Public Stadium. Initially, the facilities included one football field, one 300-meter track and field ground, one gymnasium, several basketball and volleyball courts, and several office buildings. In 1928, an additional building was added, housing a billiards room and table tennis room. The large-scale Shanghai Public Stadium became the main venue for sports activities among the city's residents. At the same time, the stadium also served as a major stage for Shanghai’s people to resist imperialism, engage in political movements, and fight for democracy and freedom, earning the vivid title “beacon of revolution.” From the May Fourth Movement to the outbreak of the August 13th Shanghai-Japan War, mass gatherings of Shanghai’s workers and students in their anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggles were frequently held here, giving the stadium a proud revolutionary history. On May 7th, 1919, 20,000 citizens of Shanghai held a “National Assembly” here to support the student protests of the May Fourth Movement in Beijing. Later, many important political events in Shanghai, such as the May 30th struggle, the memorial for Sun Yat-sen, and the grand inspection of the Shanghai Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, were held here.

After 1949, the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government designated it as a municipal-level revolutionary relic and memorial site, renaming it “Hunan Stadium.” In March 1987, it was listed by the Shanghai Cultural Relics Preservation Committee as “A Revolutionary Gathering Site of Shanghai’s Masses Since the May Fourth Movement — Shanghai Public Stadium,” and in 1999, it was named an “Patriotism Education Base” by the Nanshi District People’s Government.

On April 4th, 2014, the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government reclassified Nanshi Public Stadium as a municipal-level cultural heritage site of Shanghai (Hu Fu Fa [2014] No. 29).