Some people say that the history of Shanghai is the 'darling' of the academic world, receiving special attention all along, and indeed, it is so. Renowned overseas scholars such as Frederic Evans Wakeman, Jr, Lee Ou-Fan, Yeh Wen-hsin, and others have produced classic research works about Shanghai, while within the domestic academic community, there is 'A Comprehensive History of Shanghai' edited by Xiong Yuezhi. The distinctive feature of this book lies in its focus not on macro-level narration, but rather on exploring the discontinuity and continuity of Shanghai's history in the early years of liberation from the perspective of micro-level social and cultural aspects such as lanes, cinemas, newspapers, and universities. During the 1950s, a period of profound upheaval, Shanghai's culture, ideas, and customs also retained certain inherent elements, hinting at the complexity of modernization as a comprehensive societal endeavor.

'Despite the city's departure, modernity still remains' — Did old Shanghai truly disappear without a trace? Has the local essence of Shanghai endured? How do the national agenda and urban presence interact?... Just as the questions continue to surface endlessly, almost every query is ripe for in-depth exploration, and each holds potential to spawn new inquiries. This book, starting from the perspectives of 'working people,' 'intellectuals and cultural figures,' and 'ordinary citizens,' reexamines the social and cultural landscape of 1950s Shanghai, with the aim of bringing back that departed city of historical significance into the realm of truth.

有人说上海史是历史学界的“宠儿”，一直受到特别的关注，确实如此。魏斐德、李欧梵、叶文心等海外著名学者都有关于上海的、堪称经典的研究著述，国内学界，则有熊月之主编的《上海通史》。本书特点表现在作者不是宏观叙事，而是从里弄、影院、报业、大学等社会文化微观层面探讨解放初期上海历史的断裂与延续。1950年代的上海，在经历天翻地覆大转折的时候，其文化、观念、习俗也延续着某些惯性的东西。由此也提示我们，整个社会的现代化是一个复杂系统的工程。 “都市远去，摩登犹在”——老上海是否曾消失得无踪影？上海的地方性是否延续？国家“入场”与都市“在场”怎样互动？……如同问题的发掘难以穷尽，几乎每一个问题都大有文章可做，且大有引发新问题的余地。本书仅从“劳动人民”“知识人与文化人”以及“小市民”三个研究主体出发，对1950年代的上海社会文化作一次重访，以期将历史巨变中那个远去的都市拉回到历史的真实中来。