“Selected Works on the History of Shanghai” is a collection of classic studies on modern and contemporary Shanghai history by top scholars overseas. These works offer both readability and academic depth, and they have been translated by domestic experts. The overseas scholars, with their unique perspectives, exclusive materials, and insightful interpretations, provide a fresh understanding of Shanghai’s history, covering various aspects such as the Shanghai Taoist government, police, prostitutes, industrialists, overseas Chinese, regional associations, fire brigades, and people from northern Jiangsu.

This book is a research monograph on the history of Chinese prostitutes and sexology. The author, with extraordinary theoretical courage and solid academic knowledge, has collected a vast amount of Chinese and Western newspapers, archival materials, and writings, conducting a comprehensive and systematic exploration of prostitution and the phenomenon of prostitutes in modern Shanghai. Starting from analyzing the activities and living conditions of high-class prostitutes, the book delves into the prostitution market, locations, and the resulting sex economy in early 20th-century Shanghai. It vividly portrays the glamorous yet tragic lives of old Shanghai prostitutes and the various dark deeds behind the extravagant and intoxicated lifestyle of that era. Finally, the book provides a detailed analysis and exposition of the successive failures of the Shanghai government in regulating prostitutes and the efforts made by civil organizations at the time to rescue them.